Fate Zero Alternative
by Deeox2
Summary: Kiritsugu Emiya must destroy the Grail, the Dress of Heaven made this clear to Maiya Hisau. The path to this destruction, however, was for Maiya to decide. A reimagining of Fate/Zero.
1. Chapter 1: A New Stage

Deep within the swirling blizzards of the Einzbern's own creation laid the Einzbern Castle. In the hidden fortress of the ancient magi family, the gears for the summoning of a Heroic Spirit turned ever closer to their finality. Avalon, the Noble Phantasm and Conceptual Weapon of Arthur Pendragon laid in wait as Emiya Kiritsugu finished his examination of the summoning circle.

His wife, Irisviel von Einzbern, asked why this part of the grandest ritual ever conceived by humanity was so plain, and he answered with the utmost honesty. Yes, this part was plain, for the ritual was complex yet simple. Seven pairs of Masters and Servants, all in a bid for a wish from the omnipotent wish granter known to them as the Holy Grail. The complex part would be the fight, not the preparations.

Kiritsugu's thoughts were on the Servant he was about to summon. It was guaranteed that this Servant would be in the Saber class container, but the other guarantee brought upon by Avalon was that this Heroic Spirit would be King Arthur, the King of Knights. It was said that a Servant was supposed to be much like the Master, but Kiritsugu found it difficult to see it in such a way. A knight was nothing like him. When he sought to eliminate his enemies in the most efficient way possible, they would allow their opponent an honorable duel. While King Arthur had resigned himself to his duty, Kiritsugu Emiya fought with every fiber of his being to eliminate the status quo. The desires of Kiritsugu Emiya and King Arthur Pendragon could never align, he was sure of it. So it was decided that Irisviel would stand by Saber's side in battle. Kiritsugu was sure that if there was anything he could trust Saber with, it would be protecting his wife until that inevitable sacrifice that would bring the Holy Grail to them.

It was time. The ritual was to begin.

With one hand raised, he began. "Set, set, set-"

As the ritual began, and the pain increased steadily as the Holy Grail asked more from his body and Magic Circuits, the idea never occurred to Kiritsugu Emiya that Saber might be a woman.

"I ask thee, art thou my Master?"

Kiritsugu was confused for the briefest of moments. The legends all said that King Arthur was a man, after all, but in the end, who else would Avalon call to be Saber in this Holy Grail War? He gave a nod to his wife and disappeared from the prayer room.

Saber did not understand this man. After being offered a place in the Grail War by the Holy Grail as she laid dying on that hill in the Battle of Camlann, her Master would not even speak to her. Irisviel was kind, explaining to her all the necessary details of Kiritsugu's plan for this Grail War. She accepted the plan immediately, not because she understood or agreed with the principles of it, but because it was the plan of her Master. So, Artoria Pendragon would protect Irisviel von Einzbern as Kiritsugu Emiya worked from the shadows to ensure their victory. She did not agree with fighting a Grail War like this, but that was not her decision to make. That was the relationship between Master and Servant, was it not? And she was a faithful knight.

Kiritsugu only continued to confound her more as she watched from the window of the Einzbern castle. The young homunculus, Illyasviel von Einzbern, was an adorable child and this cold hearted man was completely disarmed in the face of the child he seemed to love.

As Kiritsugu and Illyasviel continued to count winter buds, Irisviel watched Saber with a keen eye. This was King Arthur in the flesh, considering the special nature of her summoning. "Are you surprised to see Kiritsugu like that, Saber?"

"To be honest, yes. If this is the true face of my Master, I must have done something to displease him."

Irisviel laughed a pained laugh and instantly Saber knew there was something Irisviel was hiding. "No, Saber. You've done nothing wrong. Do you feel slighted from Kiritsugu's reaction to your summoning?"

"A little… My appearance is different from how my legend was told, but surely…" She could not say so for sure. "Is my womanhood the cause for his anger, Irisviel? Does he not believe me worthy of the sword?" Saber could feel herself tense, but kept her gaze outside.

Irisviel tilted her head gently to the side, the slightest bit perplexed by Saber's question. "No, if he is angry it is because of something else." She knew, of course, but to let Saber herself come to the truth herself was the better option. "Perhaps his anger comes from the people of your era? He sees them as cruel to force the duty of kingship upon you."

"I was prepared when I pulled the sword from the stone." This was the surest sentence she had spoken since meeting Irisviel.

Irisviel continued to watch. She expected nothing else from the King of Knights. "Perhaps that you accepted it all so readily is why he is angry."

Saber faltered for a moment, considering Irisviel's words. A moment later, she tightened her grip on her resolve. "If that is true, that is far too emotional a response to my duty. None would complain to those who made the decision in my era."

Irisviel nodded. "And so he remains silent."

Saber understood now. It was not some sort of hatred for her gender. "Emiya Kiritsugu and the Heroic Spirit Artoria Pendragon are incompatible then." For the sake of the Holy Grail War, this was the best means for Kiritsugu and Artoria to work together. She calmed her pride for a moment. "Thank you, Irisviel."

Irisviel smiled in response. "Saber, please claim the Grail, for yourself and your Master. The thousand year wish of the Einzberns will be granted, and my daughter and I will be freed from our destinies. We can rely only on you, Artoria."

Even as Saber thought about the true nature of the ritual called the Holy Grail War and Irisviel's words, she made her pledge. "You will survive, Irisviel, for I will protect you until the very end. I pledge it upon the pride of my sword."

* * *

Hassan-i-Sabbah, the only set of Heroic Spirits capable of filling the class container of Assassin in the Fuyuki Holy Grail War system, watched over Kirei Kotomine. While it would be more appropriate to refer to this Assassin as 'they', this individual part of the Hassan of the Hundred Personas was a man.

So, he watched, as Kirei Kotomine prepared with all his mind, body and soul for a war he seemed to care none for. The Command Seals had manifested so long ago, so it was certain that the Grail desired something from Kirei Kotomine, but what was it? He simply did not know why a man could fight for nothing. The Order of the Assassins had fought against those who invaded the Holy Land, and this cause was supremely righteous in the eyes of Hassan-i-Sabbah. Even if Kirei Kotomine had connections to that part of the world they had fought against, Hassan-i-Sabbah could not stand that this man fought for nothing.

"Master, there are no spells or familiars watching the home of Tokiomi Tohsaka."

"Very well, you may continue to keep watch, Assassin."

As Assassin, he would take this opportunity. "Master, I and the rest of myself have been curious." Kirei said nothing else, so Assassin continued. "What is it that you will ask of the Grail for your wish?"

Kirei's answer was casual, at least as casual as a hardened Executor or Inquisitor for the Holy Church could be. "The securement of the Grail is my wish. That is all I am here for." Assassin did not believe this in the slightest.

Yet, Assassin continued to keep watch as Kirei entered the basement of the Tohsaka mansion and went to speak with Tokiomi Tohsaka. Kirei's wish could not simply be to acquire the Holy Grail for the sake of acquiring it. Neither could the wish be for something vile, for Assassin saw the way Kirei condemned the Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya, who seemed to kill for the cause of monetary gain. He saw also, how he doted on Tokiomi Tohsaka's daughter, Rin Tohsaka. Assassin could not say this man was evil, watching the face of Kirei Kotomine closely as he saw Aoi and Rin Tohsaka off to the safety of outside the mansion.

As Kirei Kotomine sat in the living room of the Tohsaka mansion, Assassin watched as he wondered what Kiritsugu Emiya sought in the Holy Grail War.

The entity that seemed to be at the core of Hassan of the Hundred Personas appeared before Kirei Kotomine. She stood respectfully, her purple hair, darkened skin and skull mask all a part of her symbol as Hassan-i-Sabbah. "Master."

Kirei roused himself from his thoughts. "What is it, Assassin?"

"Would you prefer if we did not ask questions of you? We do not seek to make you uncomfortable."

He shook his head lightly. "No, I do not mind."

She bowed politely. "Then might I ask another question, Master? I recall in several of my lives I had children. Do you have any of your own?"

Assassin noticed the near imperceptible shimmer in the normally dead abyss of Kirei Kotomine's eyes. "Yes," he said. Assassin did not ask more of him.

* * *

As Assassin watched their Master, someone else watched upon the entirety of the Fourth Holy Grail War. Irisviel von Einzbern, summoned in the class container of Caster as the Dress of Heaven. She had no memory of coming to the place she found herself in, this endless field of flowers, but she had found a way of viewing this Holy Grail War as an outside observer. This war was different than the one she had fought and died in as the container for the Holy Grail. The beginning was almost as she remembered it, but she found the smaller details to be utterly different.

Yet, she knew she watched for a reason. She knew she had to ask something of someone. Irisviel had considered for a long time who it was she had to ask this great favor, but as time passed, she became sure in her convictions.

* * *

Maiya Hisau watched the city of Fuyuki from the hotel room Kiritsugu and her were to operate from. With a cloth, she wiped dust from the side of her 9mm Glock sidearm. Soon, the Holy Grail War would begin and she, Kiritsugu, Irisviel and the Servant Saber would fight to attain the Holy Grail for Kiritsugu's wish.

She heard footsteps behind herself and instantly turned to take on this sudden intruder. To her surprise, stood a shining woman, clad in a white, red and gold dress. Her smile was brighter than anything Maiya had ever seen. "Madame Irisviel?" Maiya had never met her, only heard of her from Kiritsugu, but for some reason she instantly knew who she was.

When Irisviel spoke, her voice was more beautiful than anything Maiya had ever heard in her entire life. "Maiya, the Grail is corrupted. The Einzberns summoned the Heroic Spirit Angra Mainyuu into the class container of Avenger during the Third Holy Grail War. In the fourth, Kiritsugu will discover this and will command Saber to destroy the Holy Grail. Please, with all my heart, I ask you to ensure that this holds true."

Maiya knew that this was not a trick, because she herself had ensured that no one would find this hideout. Additionally, if this was some sort of mirage brought on by some sort of suggestion, Kiritsugu had taught her how they operated. If this was not an imposter in the flesh pretending to be Irisviel von Einzbern, and it was not a long range spell telling her Irisviel von Einzbern was here, then this had to be Irisviel von Einzbern. "But Kiritsugu's wish, we can't give up on that. This corruption… Can't we fight it?"

"Unfortunately, the Grail's corruption will ensure this Holy Grail War will not grant Kiritsugu's wish in the way he desires." Irisviel's smile turned sombre. "The battle for the Grail has already begun, Maiya. The Servants have already been summoned. Please, I know I ask of you the world itself, but you are the one person who I can ask."

Maiya kept her gaze met with Irisviel's. She said nothing, but Irisviel only waited patiently for her answer. Maiya thought Irisviel seemed prepared to wait for an eternity for her answer. "You can trust me with this, Madame Irisviel." She smiled to reassure the woman in front of her.

In that dark hotel room, the Dress of Heaven began to fade away. "Thank you, Maiya." And then she was gone. As soon as Maiya was sure that Irisviel had departed, she left the room and began her work.

* * *

In the basement of the Tohsaka mansion, Kirei and Risei Kotomine watched as Tokiomi Tohsaka called on the Heroic Spirit Gilgamesh to answer his call. Unbeknownst to all, Gilgamesh had already been summoned elsewhere.

In the darkness of the womb of the Holy Grail, Gilgamesh found himself. He took only the most minor of glances of his surroundings of pitch black nothingness before he spoke. "Reveal yourself to me, mongrel. These cheap theatrics are not fit to entertain a king."

So appeared Angra Mainyu, formless at first but steadily gaining the shape he did in a different world, that of an odd reflection of Shirou Emiya. He smirked. "So, this is the mighty King of Heroes? What a joke."

Gilgamesh opened his mouth to cast judgement on Avenger, but before he could, he felt an indescribable pain in his chest. He brought his gauntleted hand to his heart. "What-" He felt his heart - his Spirit Core- twist and turn, convulsing in agony. "Ack…" Gilgamesh held on, halting any sounds of pain from escaping his lips.

But eventually they did. This unspeakable pain brought his screams. The visions of humanity's suffering that entered his senses did not phase him, but what did was what should have been impossible. Gilgamesh thought, foolishly, that his Divinity should have protected him from the Curse of Angra Mainyu. In a different class, or as a separate type of Servant, this would have been true. As a Servant of the Archer class, with his hatred of the gods for taking his dearest friend, Enkidu, he was susceptible to the curse for the only time. Angra Mainyuu capitalized on the depths of Gilgamesh's sorrow for the death of Enkidu and placed his curse upon the King of Heroes.

Still, it was impossible for Gilgamesh to become a Blackened Servant, that with the designation of Alter. So, as the screams turned to mad laughter, Gilgamesh's Spirit Origin was not corrupted, but rather covered by the Curse of Angra Mainyuu. This Servant would be what Risei Kotomine would claim to have saved them, this Servant would be what Tokiomi and Kirei hinged their plan on. They would never come to know of the curse. The only one who would ever have been able to tell would be Enkidu.

But they were not here.

* * *

Shinji Matou had always hated his bloodline. The Matous were a thinning line of magi, and he was the living embodiment of that fact. Without the capacity for magic, he was less than worthless in the eyes of his father and the old rotten corpse, Zouken Matou. He thought, against all rationality, that he should be the successor of the Matou line. Shinji thought that he should be able to claim what his birth had denied him, because that was the way of people without things. Those without... want what they have been denied.

His father eventually introduced him to a new girl, someone who would become his new sister, Sakura. While he was weary at first, he gradually came to love this girl like the sister she was supposed to be. Unfortunately, he was only a child, and he found this love being expressed when he picked on her.

All of this changed when he found the worm pit with Sakura still inside.

His father grew more distant from him after this point and Shinji felt a loneliness he had never felt before. Depression turned to anger with time. At first, his rage was directed at himself for finding this secret of Zouken's, but the rage gradually became directed toward Sakura for being involved. He hurled abuse at this girl whom he should have protected, but for some reason he could never bring himself to strike her, even when his mind told him he had all the right to do so.

As the Fourth Holy Grail War neared ever closer, he only became more frustrated and angry, but then Kariya Matou came back. His uncle who had ran away from the madness of the Matous had returned. Shinji felt anger at this person as well, but in that extremely brief moment before Zouken began the implantation of the Crest Worms into Kariya Matou, Shinji met Kariya in the hallway.

"Uncle Kariya," he said in an unaffectionate tone, trying his hardest to show this man that he did not care for him.

But Kariya was a kind man. "Hello, Shinji." His smile was gentle, and Shinji found his rage melt away. "You're going away to study, aren't you? Can I ask you to promise me something?"

"I'll consider it, if you say it." That was the best the arrogant boy could manage.

Kariya was still gentle, and knelt down in front of Shinji. "I'm going to be doing something very dangerous, and… if it doesn't turn out the way I want it to… Can you protect Sakura?"

"That girl? Pff…fff…" Shinji trailed off as he opened his eyes to look at his uncle. Kariya was sad in that way he had rarely seen adults be, where they were showing their weakness in front of a child. Shinji swallowed his arrogance, his pride, and his anger. "Okay, Uncle Kariya. I will."

Kariya looked pleased, ruffled Shinji's hair, and then disappeared into the room where the worm pit laid. Shinji understood then what Kariya had decided to do.

Kariya Matou had ran from the horrors of the Matous, and when he was assured in his own safety, he had come back. Shinji was utterly baffled. Kariya had decided to face this supreme evil for the sake of others and… what had Shinji done. Shinji had only become enraged at someone who was not at fault. For once in Shinji's life, he thought about what he, an insignificant boy, could do.

As Byakuya came to collect him, Shinji instead went to Sakura. Her eyes were still the dead pools that reflected his own failings, but he swallowed those feelings. He hugged his sister tightly, perhaps for the first time in his entire life. "I'll be back, Sakura. You can- Encourage Uncle Kariya for us while I'm gone, you can manage that much, right?" He could only frame his words in a relatively rude manner.

Sakura's small hands gripped at the back of his vest, bunching the fabric in tiny fists. Tears pooled in her lifeless eyes, and he felt droplets fall upon his neck and shoulder. "I will, Nii-san, I will."

Shinji Matou could do nothing else but leave, hoping his small actions would help Kariya and Sakura see the Fourth Holy Grail War end in their favour.

Kariya could not have been more proud of Shinji. He had originally written the boy off as selfish, but when he saw a small smile upon Sakura's lips as he met her in the hallway, his heart swelled with newfound confidence in his mission.

"Nii-san said what you're doing is right, Uncle Kariya." Her eyes were still a void, but that smile helped Kariya.

He tried to smile back, but half his face refused to listen to his brain. Kariya could only manage to keep the kindness in his still functioning eye. "Let's keep fighting together, Sakura."

Kariya gave encouragement to Sakura, and Sakura gave him encouragement in turn. Their tortured minds hoped that their feelings would reach the other, but they both knew that the other's feelings had reached themself. If Shinji could find the strength to begin to love his sister again, then Sakura knew Kariya's endeavour had hope. If Shinji could find the courage to put a smile on Sakura's face, then Kariya knew Sakura believed in him.

Shinji, for once in his life, had given people hope.

* * *

Assassin had been given the order. Kill Tokiomi Tohsaka.

But Assassin knew what the actual plan was, to die to the King of Heroes so that the rest of himself would lurk in the shadows without fear. This part of Hassan of the Hundred Personas held no fear, for he knew his Master was a good man, and he knew that the power of the Holy Grail would restore him once Kirei Kotomine had won.

So, Assassin marched to his death with full belief in his Master.

Maiya Hisau sat far in the hills of Fuyuki, watching Assassin's infiltration of the Tohsaka mansion through the magnification of the scope on Kiritsugu's sniper rifle. She thought logically and simply. As Kirei Kotomine had been Tokiomi Tohsaka's apprentice, it made sense that this attack was being orchestrated by Kotomine and that Assassin was the Servant of Kotomine.

When Archer emerged from the balcony, Maiya saw him before Assassin did. Those holes in space with weapons of untold power impaled Assassin where he stood before raining down on him in endless fury. Archer was not a Servant to be trifled with, but had Kirei Kotomine really underestimated Tokiomi Tohsaka's Servant? That didn't make sense to her.

Kiritsugu had called ahead and informed her that he saw Kirei Kotomine as a massive threat, and for him to be defeated so soon in the Holy Grail War… No, she trusted Kiritsugu's intuition.

When nothing else seemed to happen, she took the sniper rifle and left.

* * *

The core of Hassan of the Hundred Personas spoke simply. "Only three familiars were present for our forgery."

Kirei hummed a quiet note in thought. "All of the seven Servants have arrived, haven't they, father?"

"Yes. However, the last to be summoned, Caster, only arrived two days ago." Caster's Master was likely one of the fill in candidates chosen by the Holy Grail. "That does not explain why one other was missing…"

Kirei only became more lost in thought. Had Kiritsugu Emiya arrived yet, or if not, had he been there in person…? Or maybe another Master had a means of viewing their deceit without need of a familiar. He pushed these thoughts aside for a moment to refocus on his Servant. "Your perimeter of focus…"

"We sought to look upon the area in which a familiar would be able to view the scene. No Master could possibly be foolish enough to come in person." Kirei thought the same, then what was the answer?

Risei spoke up. "In any case, this will mark the beginning of the Heaven's Feel. It seems I will witness a miracle this time."

Kirei did not share the enthusiasm of his father, but it was not only just born out of how he was. His mind stayed on this question, as it felt immensely important. Why had there only been three familiars?

* * *

Kiritsugu knocked on the door in the manner they had agreed upon. Maiya opened it and stood to the side to let him in before she checked the hallway and closed the door silently. They looked at each other for a moment - Maiya at the cigarette in Kiritsugu's mouth, and Kiritsugu at the cold eyes of the girl he had raised.

"I thought you had given up smoking for Madame Irisviel and Illya."

"I thought that was a secret."

A smile flashed upon Maiya's face. "I remember a younger Illya stealing the phone from you and telling me all about her father." That was a year ago.

The glow of the cigarette dulled as Kiritsugu took a breath in. "Heh."

Maiya embraced the man, and he set a hand on the back of her head to bring her in closer. No smile crossed his face, but he made no action to dismiss her. "It's been too long since I've seen you, Maiya."

"You as well, Kiritsugu."

They untangled and Maiya began her report. "Assassin was defeated by Tokiomi Tohsaka's Servant." She explained every minute detail to Kiritsugu.

He paused, about to take another drag. He had expected her to show him footage. "You didn't use your familiars?" Maiya was an expert in the management and use of normal familiars, it seemed odd that she wouldn't use one.

"I withdrew mine from the Tohsaka mansion as soon as Assassin appeared. In the brief moments that Assassin began their infiltration, I moved to see for myself."

"You thought it was a trap?" He finally took that drag.

"Kirei Kotomine was brought under the church's protection."

Kiritsugu paused. "Send a familiar to the church-"

"I have. This has to be a ploy by Kotomine and Tohsaka."

Kiritsugu nodded. She was right. "Has there been anything from the church yet?"

"No. Kotomine has kept himself hidden so far."

Kiritsugu felt some pride at Maiya's actions. She had seen the deception before it had even begun and evaded the detection of the enemy Masters. "You've done well, Maiya."

She nodded once. "Should I send word to Madame Irisviel?"

He considered this for a moment. "No, we're separated for now. Saber will protect her from this Servant, no matter how powerful they are. We will deal with Kotomine."

"Understood." She shifted gears. "All the gear has arrived…"

He suspected it all was as he specified to her, but he wanted to see one in specific to renew his memory. "The Contender, Maiya."

Maiya took the rosewood case containing Kiritsugu Emiya's Mystic Code and set it on a side table with a unique gentleness. He opened it mechanically, sliding the single-shot pistol into his hands as he refamiliarized himself with its weight, the movements to aim, fire, reload. He set it back into the case.

"I've gotten rusty…"

"Yes, you have." She said it matter-of-factly.

He moved to the other item he was interested in and lightly lifted the case of the Walther WA2000 sniper rifle. "Illya is much lighter than this, and she's already eight years old." He set the case back onto the bed.

Maiya set a hand on Kiritsugu's shoulder. "Don't think about Illya or Madame Irisviel right now, Kiritsugu. We're fighting for their sake, but we shouldn't let our love for them distract us from what we have to do."

He stood there, his eyes still on the Walther's case. Maiya was there for him, this girl he had raised. A long time ago, he had considered regarding this young girl as a mere tool for the war he had been fighting all his life. That would have been the greatest disrespect he could have given Maiya.

She was the woman into whom Kiritsugu himself had raised from the girl he had once found on a battlefield. A daughter in everything but blood and title, she who stopped the machine called Kiritsugu Emiya from losing those final vestiges of his humanity. An indispensable ally to help Kiritsugu win this battle… That was none other than this woman.

* * *

The flight chartered by the Einzberns for the purposes of bringing Irisviel and Saber to Fuyuki city touched down and slid into position. Even by merely looking at the weather around her, its stark comparison to the weather of the eternal winter of the Einzbern castle lifted her heart out of her chest. If this was the land her husband had been born into, he must have been a child with a heart filled with joy. How much he had changed…

The Einzbern maids followed Irisviel and Saber into the airport. The entire procession was instantly the centre of attention, with the stunning beauty that both Irisviel and Saber exuded. Both of them looked as if they were of noble birth, with Saber in her dark suit and Irisviel in her white coat.

Irisviel walked a few steps ahead. "How was the plane, Saber?" she turned around, interlocking her fingers behind her back as she smiled. "It was interesting for someone such as yourself, wasn't it?"

"It was slightly more taxing on my mental energy than I thought it would be." Saber slowed beside Irisviel to ensure she would keep pace with the rest of the group. "I don't mean to disappoint, but I have received information even on the topic of air travel. I even possess the Riding skill as is afforded to a Saber class Servant."

Irisviel was disappointed at first, but she was quickly enthralled with the rest of Saber's speech. "Riding… You could 'ride' the plane?"

Saber could not help but try to impress the easily excitable Irisviel. Her smile was simply too bright to not. "With a B rank on the standard scale, I can easily operate any vehicle or mount." She ended with both a fact and a joke as she gave Irisviel a smile. "However, I am incapable of riding anything more exotic than that."

Irisviel felt heat in her cheeks and softly pressed a hand against the side of her face closest to Saber and laughed softly. "W-well, in any fashion… I'm still a little bit disappointed. I don't think any other Servant has ever even been inside a plane while materialized."

Saber gave a soft bow of her head. "I believe I should apologize to my fellow Heroic Spirits for that. I am not a good reference for the rest of them."

"Oh, it's fine. I didn't mean it like that."

Yes, because Saber was incapable of entering spirit form, this sort of costume was the best match for her while she was with Irisviel. To the common observer, they were royalty, but to a magus they were Servant and Master. Kiritsugu could not hope for better bait to lure in their prey. For Irisviel, however… Well, she could not hope for a better partner to accompany her in a foreign place.

"I'm happy I have the chance to travel with you, Saber." She felt herself smiling. "I can't get tired of looking at you."

Saber quirked an eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

Irisviel would not answer and only turned away. Saber thought she should press, but decided against it. How could Irisviel be this carefree in enemy territory? They had not had any time to reconvene with Kiritsugu and Maiya so they were without any of the knowledge that Maiya's reconnaissance had gathered. They were mice thrust into a den of cats.

She was pulled out of her thoughts sharply as Irisviel grabbed her hand and pulled her along. "Let's go, Saber! We should enjoy ourselves as much as we can in this small window we have."

"Irisviel-" Saber held her tongue when she saw how radiant Irisviel looked. She understood now. How could Kiritsugu not have fallen in love with her?

* * *

The sun continued to descend in the sky and soon the moon would be upon them. Irisviel peered through the windshield to the city of Fuyuki beyond, interested in the things she had never seen except for in videos and pictures. Saber, instead, eyed the city itself. No magus or sane Servant would attack them here, so they were safe for the most part. She could feel some soft traces of the other Servants in the city, but nothing that would guide her to their location. Did Kiritsugu know where they were yet?

"Kiritsugu is already within the city, correct?"

"Yes, he's been here since the early morning."

Saber eyed Irisviel in the reflection of the rear door window. "Shouldn't we regroup?"

"I think he will come to us, Saber. Hopefully Maiya as well."

Maiya… Saber had heard that name several times before. "Is Maiya working with Kiritsugu?"

"Kiritsugu would trust her with his life, and she would hers." Irisviel sensed Saber's precaution at a stranger. "We can trust her as well."

"Very well. What is the plan then?"

"Right, we do need a plan of action. For now… we shall observe the changes in Fuyuki city and prepare ourselves for the arrival of the other Servants."

The car stopped as the traffic slowed to a halt. This traffic jam would take some time to clear up. "I don't think it's safe to move around too much, Irisviel. We could put ourselves into a dangerous situation, depending on the Servant or magi."

Irisviel smiled and looked to Saber. "How did you know I was proposing that we look around ourselves?"

Saber didn't let the slipup show on her face. Normally, showing that she knew exactly what her partner was thinking would be no cause for nervousness, but Irisviel was crafty and Saber thought that she should be careful not to let her get the upper hand. She didn't quite know why she thought that… "Simply a guess." Saber didn't want to push Irisviel too much though.

Saber nodded. "Driver, stop the car. I shall lead Irisviel."

"Saber…?" Irisviel asked as Saber exited the car and came around, offering Irisviel her hand as she opened the door.

"This is my first time as well in this age, but I feel that it is my duty as a knight to escort you, lest I damage the smile that I promised to protect."

Irisviel pressed one hand to her chest and carefully set her hand in Saber's.

* * *

Everywhere where Saber and Irisviel went, it was difficult for anyone to keep their gaze off of them. To anyone, this looked like a date. However, their trip was not one to experience the sights but rather to see them. Irisviel enjoyed seeing the setting sun and Saber enjoyed the look on her face when she did. That was enough for Saber.

The sun eventually set behind the horizon and the moon peeked out to replace it. The light of the moon was also unbelievably beautiful. To Irisviel, who had lived her entire life in the castle of the Einzberns, this was the most unbelievably beautiful environment she could ask for. She was still nervous, but with her hands on Saber's elbow, she could calm her exterior to be able to enjoy these new sights. To ensure that, Saber had all her senses on high alert. If anyone would underestimate her and attack, she would guarantee Irisviel's safety.

Their journey took them to the seaside park on the shore of the Mion River. The wind was soft, lifting up Irisviel's hair behind her. It was cold, but Irisviel did not care. The Einzbern castle was almost like a landlocked country, and the sight of the sea was dazzling. To Saber, the image of Irisviel with the moon behind her was infinitely more dazzling. However...

"I think it would have been a more beautiful sight with the sunlight, my apologies, Irisviel." Saber bowed her head gently in apology.

"No, this is beautiful too, Saber." She stepped out onto the beach, her eyes on the glistening image of the moon on the sea. "I enjoyed our walk. I couldn't have thought that a walk with a knight would be so nice."

"You honor me, princess." Saber smiled. She had done her job then. "Perhaps you could do the same with your husband sometime." Saber saw Irisviel's shoulders tense.

"No… To go to war right after would pain him."

Saber moved delicately. "Surely, he would find more joy in recalling the memory while on the battlefield."

"For him, the joy of happiness weighs too much on his heart. The pain would make him lose focus on his goals."

Saber thought, wondering how her master could both love but be crippled with pain in love. How could he fight if he did not understand what would lie for him at the end of his battles? "Is this why he does not wish to fight by my side?"

"That could be part of it. This dream of his, he can fight for it only through discarding his love for the world." Irisviel never lifted her gaze from the view, leaving Saber in thought.

Saber did not wish to end the day on such a poor note. She had not intended for her initial comment to lead here, but it had. She felt embarrassment for having done so, but she would not show it and further degrade the quality of the night.

Her gaze snapped to the distance and she stepped up beside Irisviel, laying a gentle grip on Irisviel's arm. "A Servant."

"Close?"

"Not within a distance that our engagement would be immediate." She could feel the impatient tap of the Servant's foot, waiting for someone to answer their summons. "They are calling for us."

"A trap?" Irisviel asked, nervous.

"No, I can sense a different intent."

Irisviel nodded and turned to where Saber looked to. "We should meet them on their battlefield then, Saber. It would be rude to ignore them."

Saber had thought that Irisviel would not be so confident, but this forced her to add an additional note to her impressions of Irisviel. "Allow me to lead the way once more."

They began to follow the Servant's call, and Irisviel sent the signal to Kiritsugu. Irisviel hoped this would not be necessary. If Saber defeated this Servant quickly, then perhaps Kiritsugu would see Saber like she did.


	2. Chapter 2: A Duel Between Knights

Lancer tapped his foot against the pavement as he waited for someone to answer him. His Master was growing impatient, and he was as well. Lancer did not wish his Master to further grow angry at him. When Saber and Irisviel revealed themselves on the harbour block, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Finally." Lancer waited for them to step into position across from him. They watched each other from this area between the shipping containers, as the wind blew across the cranes above.

Lancer twirled Gae Buidhe, his shorter yellow spear, idly, smiling with an arrogant air about him. "I am glad to meet someone with some bravery about them. Everyone else has ignored my call."

"It is the duty of a knight to answer the challenge of another. Would you not agree, Lancer?"

Lancer nodded. Saber had met his expectations in one department already. "As you did not ride in on any sort of mount, would I be correct in guessing you are Saber?"

"You would be."

Lancer bowed his head. Trading words before blows was ideal. "I would have expected this to be more of a duel one would have on a hectic battlefield, but we've both made this into a fight with some real honor. I thank you for that, Saber."

"Thank only yourself. If you had decided the battle had commenced as soon as we laid eyes upon one another, I would have done the same." Even as she said this, she bowed her head in turn to afford Lancer the same respect.

As they brought themselves back up to gaze at one another, Irisviel continued to attempt to read Lancer. It was possible as someone who was not a Master to read the status of a Servant, but it was much more difficult than one chosen by the Grail. She focused on the mole under Lancer's left eye for but a second and immediately sensed the immense power of the Mystic Face.

Irisviel scowled. "It is impolite to seduce a woman by such unpleasant means, Lancer."

Lancer set his thumb against the beauty spot and pushed it to the side, as if hoping it would simply come off. He laughed sadly when it did not. "My apologies, but that is simply a curse that was placed upon me. I can only ask that you place the blame for it with me." Irisviel could only feel empathy for anyone with a low enough magic resistance to be ensnared by such a vile curse.

Saber directed Irisviel to step further back, readying herself to draw Excalibur from the air. "I have my doubts, but I hope you were not trying to use that curse to your advantage."

Lancer turned his head as if to spit on the mere thought of it. "No, that would ruin a good time between Heroic Spirits of the Knight classes. To begin our battle with you at any less than your full power would be a stain on both our honors."

Saber agreed. "It is my honor to face you in a fair fight, Lancer. You may give the signal."

Lancer raised both of his spears, tipping them both to his sides. Saber had no idea what to make of his unusual fighting style, but she would answer him. Instantly, the magical armour of the King of Knights wrapped around her and sealed itself, answering the call to protect Saber in this duel. She reached forward and pulled Excalibur out from the abyss, shrouding it in Merlin's gift of Invisible Air.

"Saber, I will support you with healing, but the battle remains up to you."

"Understood. Watch for Lancer's Master, if he is lurking in the shadows it can only mean he has something particular in mind."

Saber stepped forward, concrete breaking beneath her boot as she rushed to meet Lancer.

* * *

Maiya and Kiritsugu ran through the night toward the storage zone beside the Mion River. The mana in the air was noticeable here, as the Master of Lancer had set up a barrier, but deeper inside laid the blazing core of Lancer and Saber's duel.

Maiya pointed to one of the cranes. "That looks like the best position for viewing the fight."

"Exactly. Perhaps a certain Executor also thought of that. Make sure not to engage him head on." Executors from the church were usually the most dangerous from close to mid ranges, so if they kept their distance they stood the best chance of survival. "Go through the west bank, I'll take the other. Keep an eye on the battle and the crane, I will look for the Master of the enemy Servant."

Maiya nodded and ran off, taking the AUG with her. Kiritsugu went the other way, taking the Walther.

* * *

Irisviel, with all her dreams of the life outside the Einzbern castle, could never have prepared herself to see a battle between Servants.

Saber was prepared. While appearing to be on the defensive, she was anything but. In an instant, Saber had surmised that Lancer's fighting style was meant to dazzle and confuse. While she thought that this dual wielding style would forfeit some of Lancer's offensive capabilities, it was not the case. While deep within his guard, she deflected a slicing motion from the smaller spear only for a daring thrust from the other barely be deflected as sparks flew inches from her face.

Still, Lancer's style did not give her access to his True Name. She needed to know the identity of his Noble Phantasm, but just like Invisible Air guarded her identity so did the wrappings on Lancer's spears. Whether only one or both were the Noble Phantasm was impossible to tell from just trading blows. One of them would have to unleash their Noble Phantasm eventually, for as they danced and danced, neither of them could land a solid hit.

Lancer knew this well. With Saber's sword shielded by that gale of wind mana, he couldn't accurately judge how to approach for his attacks. He would need to unleash his Noble Phantasm in order to counteract this. Even so, this initial flurry of blows… This dance of death between Lancer and Saber had met his expectations and then some!

Both felt the spirit of battle in their hearts, eager to not disappoint their partner.

* * *

Assassin sat in waiting, granting their Master the view of the duel between Saber and Lancer.

"Master, Saber and Lancer have begun their duel in earnest. Neither appear to be able to land a solid blow on the other. Saber might be the stronger of the two, but Lancer is not a weak Servant."

"Can you see either of their Masters?"

"Only one non-Servant is present. A younger woman with white hair and red eyes." Assassin focused in on Irisviel to give Kirei a proper view. "I recall that being the usual description of an Einzbern homunculus, Master."

Assassin could hear Kirei relay this information to Tokiomi Tohsaka. "It appears that the Einzberns are utilizing a homunculus, Master."

"Appears? Yes, you're right, Kirei." Tokiomi sat in thought for a time in the basement of the Tohsaka mansion. "It would be best to follow her, whether or not she is the Einzbern Master. Additionally, if she is only the Einzbern Master in appearance…"

"Yes, I will be wary of Kiritsugu Emiya." He turned his focus to Assassin. "Bring one other of your body to look for other magi in the area, Assassin."

"Understood."

* * *

Saber and Lancer stepped away from each other. Lancer brought up the crimson Gae Dearg and pointed the spear at her, smirking with newfound arrogance. "You've pushed me up against a wall, Saber, I'm not afraid to admit it. You're one hell of a warrior."

"Your face disagrees with your words, Lancer. Have you figured out one of my secrets?" Her words were playful, but she genuinely wondered if he had. Lancer only smiled.

Through their connection, he called to his Master without announcing it to Saber or Irisviel or any of the outside observers. "Master, allow me to unleash my Noble Phantasm, I will be able to reveal the identity of her and her blade."

"Very well," Kayneth said. He shifted to speaking aloud as he stepped out into view, raising his hand to give his command. "Lancer, release your Noble Phantasm. Make this quick." Irisviel and Saber snapped to look at him. Finally, he had revealed himself.

Lancer nodded to his Master. "Understood." He dropped Gae Buidhe to the floor and unwrapped the crimson splendor of Gae Dearg, gripping it in two hands like a usual spearman would.

Kiritsugu adjusted himself to look in Kayneth's direction. He was on the rooftop of one of the warehouses, but he was hidden behind one of the ventilation structures. "Maiya, do you see him?"

"No, I'm too low. Wait." Maiya adjusted the scope on the Steyr AUG and looked past Kiritsugu's position. "Kiritsugu, look one hundred and forty degrees to your left."

Kiritsugu flipped the Walther's bipod back up and turned, looking around. He saw it in an instant, Assassin, sitting on a far away crane, cloak pillowing in the wind with their signature mask. Instantly, he dropped his stance. So, the ruse was true. "You were right, Maiya, but now I'm pinned…"

"We'll just continue our observation- wait." Maiya looked up as a different black cloak jumped over her position between the shipping containers. "What?" She crouched down, trying to make herself as small as possible. "Kiritsugu… there's another Assassin."

"Another…? That's not possible. Are you sure it isn't some sort of double image?"

"I didn't get a good enough look."

Kiritsugu thought carefully. Things were going poorly now. "Keep watch on the battle, I'll watch Assassin and Lancer's Master."

Saber readied herself to defend against Lancer's Noble Phantasm. If he discarded his short yellow spear like he did, then that weapon was likely not a Noble Phantasm. Servants were often summoned with more generic weapons that they may have used in life, but did not hold enough significance to become Noble Phantasms, so she would focus her efforts in combating the red spear.

Lancer made sure to get one more jab in before he began. "Why not reveal to me your Noble Phantasm as well, Saber? That shroud of wind around your sword isn't necessary, is it?"

"I would rather not, Lancer. Come at me." She beckoned him forth.

Lancer stepped forward and brought Gae Dearg down on Saber's head. She instinctively brought Excalibur up to block the strike and Invisible Air blew apart, sending the shroud of wind mana in both their faces.

"What?" Saber said, gasping in shock. She pushed him back and held Excalibur in front of herself, watching as Invisible Air slowly reconstituted itself to shroud Excalibur once more.

Lancer set Gae Dearg against his shoulder. "Well, Saber, I had my suspicions, but to see that my opponent is the one and only King of Knights…" He laughed to himself in mild amusement. "I must ask, though… Our legends may be embellished and changed as time passes, but I recall you being spoken of as a man."

Irisviel made a move to speak, but Saber raised a hand. "It is okay, Irisviel." She looked to Lancer. "I was merely a king to my people, Lancer." Saber kept him at a distance while she thought up her next move. Was his spear a Noble Phantasm that revealed what was hidden, or did it cut through mana? If it was the former, then that was all she had to fear, but if it was the other, then it would easily penetrate her magically woven armour.

Saber dug her feet into the ground. A Mana Burst of sufficient strength would be enough to defeat Lancer in one decisive strike. Lancer readjusted his footing as he watched her carefully. "All or nothing then, Saber? I like your style."

Saber raised Excalibur above her shoulder and looked around. She couldn't see the yellow spear, Gae Buidhe, so if Lancer had lost it then that proved that it was not a Noble Phantasm. Saber had nothing to worry about then.

She unleashed the Mana Burst and brought her sword forward to bisect Lancer. He only smiled, kicking Gae Buidhe up from beneath the rubble and onto his boot. Saber panicked, twisting in midair to avoid the unknown variable, but that was also what Lancer wanted. With Gae Dearg, he split open the entire arm of Saber's armour, casting her protection aside. Simultaneously, he kicked Gae Buidhe up, slashing through the tendons of Saber's wrist.

Saber felt her wrist be cut open and she lost some of the control on Excalibur. It slid through flesh, slashing above Lancer's hip. She hit the ground and rolled, putting herself back onto her feet. Her grip on Excalibur was weak, her hand losing the strength it once had with the new injury.

Lancer's wound healed and Lancer thanked his Master through their connection. "Thank you, Master, and thank you for allowing me to execute my plan."

"Do not grow arrogant, Lancer. Now, finish this."

Saber looked to Irisviel, who seemed to be in a panic. "Saber! I can't heal you, the magecraft isn't working!"

Saber adjusted her wounded hand's grip on Excalibur, feeling the blood begin to drip onto the floor. She called on her armor to reform around her arm. "Do not worry. I can still fight."

Lancer took this as him being spoken to. "That's good. I wouldn't wish that my Gae Buidhe would put the King of Knights out of commission so easily."

"Two cursed spears, a beauty mark… I see that you can be none other than Diarmuid of the Knights of Fianna. Did your Master hope you would be summoned as a Saber with your two swords?" Saber kept him talkative, trying to see a course of action she could take. Even if she still possessed Avalon, which she did not, she couldn't say that would be enough to counteract both curses. Oh, this thrill of combat was exhilarating.

"Perhaps he did, but unfortunately it seems that King Arthur Pendragon was-"

A scream echoed throughout the harbour. At first, it was far too sudden and far away to be understood, but it came again. "AAAARRTHUUUUR!" Lancer and Saber turned their heads away from one another, both watching as a knight in full armour scampered forward like a dog. He slowed and stepped forward, his visor pointed straight at Saber. Clouded in a miasma of flickering and swirling dark fog, neither Kayneth nor Kiritsugu could read out the status of this Servant.

Lancer stepped up to the plate. This had to be Berserker. "Do not interrupt our duel, Berserker. I will aid Saber in defeating you if you do." Saber was touched by Lancer's words… but Berserker was still targeting her.

Berserker did not even acknowledge Lancer, tearing a street pole out of the ground to wield it as a giant club. A penetrating void consumed it, with an interlacing web of red veins beginning to weave around it. He ran forward, trying to bypass Lancer to crush Saber in a single blow. Lancer and Saber stepped up together, holding back the weapon with both her sword and his spears. That street pole couldn't simply be his Noble Phantasm… How strong was he if he could use a mundane item as a viable weapon against Servants.

Maiya called to Kiritsugu. "Berserker has shown himself and is attacking Saber and Lancer…"

"Both? That does make sense… Can you see Berserker's Master?"

"No. At least not from here."

Dammit. They couldn't do anything then.

Kayneth watched from his position, trying to ascertain the best course of action in the situation. If Berserker was able to defeat Saber in her weakened state, then it would mitigate the mana cost from utilizing Lancer's Noble Phantasms. It would also be much less of a hassle to get Lancer to retreat from Berserker than it would be to retreat from Saber. He raised his hand to speak. "Lancer, help Berserker-"

A crack of thunder resounded across the harbour and crushed Berserker beneath the Gordius Wheel. In full view of everyone, having just incapacitated Berserker with one move, Rider stood upon the Gordius Wheel's chariot, a young and disoriented boy under his arm. "That is not in the spirit of any sort of grand battle," he said, his presence fierce as he turned toward where Lancer's Master was. "What was that you were about to say, Master of Lancer? Have Lancer fight against his own will? You would have disgraced a battle between knights with despicable means."

As Berserker began to fade away and retreat, there was only the silence as everyone looked to this newcomer.

Kayneth was silent, until he looked upon the boy. "Waver Velvet? Stealing my summoning catalyst in childish outrage and then joining the Heaven's Feel? I didn't think you had the guts."

Waver shook himself out of his daze. "Wuh… Huh?"

"I see my hopes to see you shake yourself from your petty delusions will bear no fruit." Kayneth held his head high, laughing at the scared Waver. "Neither will you be allowed the measly calm life of a commoner. Allow me to provide you with some extra lessons, Waver. You will have the pleasure of experiencing the finest fear and excruciating pain when I kill you."

Waver gripped onto Rider's mantle with his hands. Rider gently set him down and set a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, magus. You were supposed to be my Master instead of this kid?" He laughed at the mere thought of it. "Hiding yourself away from the battle like a coward? It's no wonder this boy took my mantle! Only those who would ride into battle with me are worthy to be the Master of Iskandar, King of Conquerors!" Further silence descended as Rider revealed his True Name without a second thought. Waver looked up at Rider.

When Kayneth did not respond, Rider only continued. "Have Lancer retreat. I will aid Saber if you wish to go through with humiliating him."

Lancer and Kayneth did not share any words through their connection. Kayneth turned to retreat himself, but did not give Rider the benefit of saying he was retreating because of him. "Come, Lancer. That is enough for tonight." Kayneth disappeared without further words.

Lancer let out a sigh of relief. "You have my thanks, King of Conquerors."

Saber nodded. "You have mine as well, Rider."

As the barrier containing the battle disappeared and the sounds of the ocean and the city crept back, Rider gave the two of them a satisfied grin. "That was nothing. You could even say it was my duty!" He laughed and then wiped a tear from his eye. "Besides, I was considering for myself when I was to interrupt your duel."

Saber tensed for a moment, but then dropped it, realizing it likely wasn't to defeat both of them. "For what reasons, King of Conquerors?"

"To see if the two of you might join me in claiming the Grail! I wish only to continue my conquest of the world, after all." When he saw the two of them give him strange looks, he continued. "I see now that the two of you would have rejected me, and so be it. If our negotiations were to break down so easily, it is only proper that we fight each other later on!"

Saber continued, still not pleased with the answer. "But for what reason do you wish for the Grail itself?"

Rider waved his hand dismissively. "Reasons and plans… There is no reason for heroes such as us to worry about those bothersome things. Conquest and the thrill of battle are each for their own sake! Is that not how you saw it, King of Knights?"

Saber stared Rider down. "I do not understand your ways, King of Conquerors."

Lancer looked to the two of them, feeling he should not be here for a debate between kings. "Saber, we will continue our duel later. I look forward to it. Rider… I will surely meet you on the battlefield later." Neither looked to him, and he disappeared as well.

Rider shook his head, calmed from his initial idea of a harsh dismissal. "It's only natural that we cannot see eye to eye, Saber. That is the way of kings, as their ways of kingships are all unique. The world is not so black and white, King of Knights." Saber gripped Excalibur with her still functional hand and Rider saw this small action. "Calm yourself. We will fight when you have finished your duel with Lancer, then I will meet the victor."

Saber tried to grip Excalibur with her other hand, but she still couldn't manage the proper grip. "Fine. I will meet you then, Rider."

He nodded. "I will give it my all when that time comes, Saber." He looked down at Waver. "Anything else, Master?"

Waver looked to Irisviel and then to Saber, giving them only looks of contemplation. "Let's go, Rider." The bulls that pulled the chariot brayed, and then stepped off, sounding thunder and sending off lightning as they continued off into the sky.

"Farewell!" Rider called and then was gone.

Irisviel looked around, finally coming down from the intensity. "What a mess… Saber, your hand…"

Saber dismissed Excalibur, Invisible Air and her armour, freeing her arm to look upon it. "The pain is too great. It would be disgraceful to continue on without defeating Lancer…"

Irisviel searched Saber's face for any uneasiness but found none. The King of Knights was so resolute, and so Irisviel thought she should be the same. "Thank you, Saber, for protecting me." She bowed her head.

Saber looked to her, letting a smile settle back onto her face. "My battle in the front exists only to protect you, Irisviel. Do not worry."

Irisviel felt her heart bounce again. Saber had such a degree of strength, courage… and gentleness. She was a hero to be certain.

"However, this is only the first battle. The war has only begun, Irisviel. That was not all of the Servants, but they certainly must be strong from what little I saw of the others. We have to be vigilant." Saber looked to the south, feeling the calm in herself, yet also the strength of her spirit and her lust for battle. None of these heroes were without, certainly. Her words were calm.

"So begins the war for the Holy Grail."

* * *

Kirei Kotomine stood in the inner sanctum of the church, considering what he had saw. So, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald was Lancer's Master, and his student was Rider's Master. Additionally, the Einzberns had contracted with Saber… All of them had also revealed their True Name. Overall, it had gone very well for his side.

He looked through the eyes of both Assassins sent to the storage harbour and then removed himself from their perceptions for the night. The new scout had been unable to find any new magi, but that did not mean they had not been there. Assassin was not the Heroic Spirit of scouting, so he did not hold absolute faith in their abilities on that front.

One of the other parts of Assassin appeared before him. "Reporting, Master." They held out a familiar in the shape of a bat. "It seems someone has grown suspicious of the church."

Kirei took the bat into his hands, turning it around to see a small camera placed on the underside. "So he is here."

* * *

Kiritsugu called out to Maiya. "We're done here. The Assassin behind me has disappeared. Do you have visual on the one near you?"

"No, but it was odd for me to see them to begin with."

"Yes… neither Assassin attacked, so they must have only been watching. But a Servant can watch even while in spirit form." He didn't want to worry Maiya with the details of Saber's summoning, but if Assassin was also incapable of materializing… "Maiya, you said that you saw Assassin materialize when they attacked Tohsaka?"

"My familiar saw them come out of the forest behind the mansion, but I did not see the materialization itself."

Kiritsugu kept quiet about his concerns. "Good, I wouldn't want you to be that close to a Servant. We'll split up and meet back up at the hotel."

"Understood."

* * *

Archer Gilgamesh stood upon one of the tall buildings overlooking the wharf, watching as the Servants retreated from their battlezone. He smiled, his eyes having been on only one person in particular. The Servant known as Saber, the so-called King of Knights. Her stern look and beautiful visage… He relished in that, but the way she talked about her role as a king and being nothing but a servant to her own people… He found that the most particularly interesting.

He laughed. How strange! How peculiar! How foolish. Yet… he found he had to have her. As sole king of his own garden, the universe itself… Saber belonged solely to the King of Heroes.

He would have her.

* * *

Kariya Matou writhed. Even as his body screamed for him to stop this torture upon himself, he still found himself awake, blood leaking down his face from the lesions that always sprouted. Berserker had ran off on his own, attacking both Lancer and Saber as he tried to call him back. Luckily, Berserker had not been defeated, so he could bear this pain if it meant he was still in the fight.

He pulled himself up and onto his feet and tried to skulk away, but he heard footsteps. Someone was coming from the other side of the alleyway. Was it another Master? Berserker was not strong enough for another fight until he healed, and his body couldn't handle more of the Crest Worms eating it so soon to use his one combat ability. He panicked, trying to shuffle away as fast as he could, but only managed to trip and fall. There was no way he would be able to get away now, but he clawed at the ground in a futile attempt anyway.

"Are you all right?" asked the voice of a woman. He looked up behind himself, trying to see her without showing the frightening visage of his face. She appeared to be of East Asian descent, but he couldn't specify much more than that. Her eyes were cold, piercing into his weak sense of self. Kariya turned away to hide from her gaze.

She set a foot onto his wrist, the one with the Command Seals. "Are you the Master of Berserker?" The look of fear on his face gave her all she needed to know and she knelt down, setting the jagged blade of a combat knife against his throat. "Sending Berserker to fight both Lancer and Saber simultaneously was bold."

There was nothing kind in her eyes, but he tried to save himself. "He went off on his own. I couldn't control him." She removed her knife from his throat, but then lifted it above his wrist. "W-wait!" She stopped. "I need Berserker… I-I need him to save someone."

The woman looked at him but still didn't show a hint of emotion on her face. She seemed to be telling him to further explain himself. He didn't know if he should be completely truthful, but he didn't know if he could spin a convincing lie so quickly. Even if his hobby had been creative writing… One didn't publish their first draft. He really had no other choice. "Tokiomi Tohsaka… He gave away his daughter to the Matous so they could torture her, turning her into an heir for them." Destroying her mind with the torture that the Crest Worms brought… And Kariya Matou knew how they worked far too intimately. "Please…" he begged her. "Children… they shouldn't have to grow up being abused."

The woman stared at him for a long time and Kariya held his breath for every single second. There was a twitch in her face, her mouth turning into a frown, and she turned her face away. She stood up, sliding her knife away. Her hand wrapped around the strap hanging down from her shoulder and looked down at him. Kariya didn't know what to say. "Thank you…"

"This isn't a mercy." She turned and left the alleyway.

Kariya took a long time to pull himself up off the ground and left as soon as he could.

* * *

Kirei Kotomine carefully counted the Black Keys hidden within his priest's frock. Though there was an exact number, it created a great deal of confusion among his enemies when they did not know the exact count, so he didn't keep one. Instead, he counted one side of his frock and then estimated a number by simply doubling it. That was good enough. A sort of chaos to add some amusement to life… He didn't smile, but there was a sort of amusement there. A hollow amusement.

Tokiomi was talking out of the jewel powered communication device in the church's inner sanctum. "Zouken Matou reported to your father that the Master of Berserker was fighting for the Matou side, did he not, Kirei?" Tokiomi already knew this, but he was trying to use Kirei as a wall to bounce ideas off of.

"He did," Kirei said, not paying full attention to the conversation.

"Did he specify who it was that was the Master of Berserker? It could not be Byakuya Matou, he finds himself far too deep into the bottle for that, and his Magic Circuits are vastly inadequate for Zouken to call on him to fight." Tokiomi paused. "Unless…?"

Kirei was not interested, but he still asked. "What is it, my teacher?"

"I had heard that Kariya Matou had returned to Fuyuki, but to return to the Matous… He was a suitor for my wife, many years ago, but for him to join the Holy Grail War for that seems insane. Alas, that sort of insanity seems to come naturally to those others chosen by the Holy Grail."

Kirei sensed something interesting, and began to pry gently. "Is this cause to be concerned for your wife and child?"

"No, they are far enough away and if Kariya Matou is the Master of Berserker for such reasons, he will not come for them. Berserker will be a problem for different reasons, but rather…" Kirei could hear Tokiomi's chair shift, as if he moved to stand up. "If he is fighting on behalf of the Matous, then he would have seen my youngest daughter."

"Youngest daughter?" Kirei repeated back.

"I had given my daughter, Sakura, to the Matous so they would raise her as an heir for their house. With their thinning bloodline, it was of mutual benefit. They would be granted an heir, and my daughter would have a chance for the Root I could not give her."

Kirei silently let the thought enter his head. Tokiomi Tohsaka had given his daughter to someone because he could not raise her. He set his forehead against the stone foundations of the church's sanctum. His thoughts went back to Europe, to that monastery deep within the middle of nowhere. Those were the last time he had seen those yellow eyes, the same ones that the mother of his only child had had. Kirei Kotomine had given his daughter to someone because he could not raise her.

Kirei could only hope that Caren would forgive him, but if a man like Kariya Matou had such rage in his heart against Tokiomi…

"I see," he said to Tokiomi with the same inflection he had used before. "That makes sense." He began to depart, securing the rest of his Black Keys. "I will be resting, my master, I will speak with you later."

"Goodnight, Kirei."

* * *

Thank you for reading! I appreciate all the reviews, even the negative ones!

On the topic of Gilgamesh being able to be corrupted by the Holy Grail, I recall in Fate/Stay Night at the ending of the Fate route, Gilgamesh claimed and Saber surmised that Gilgamesh's Divinity (the skill) was so high that it was impossible for him to be corrupted by Angra Mainyuu. That was my opinion, but after some discussion with friends it seemed to be a point of debate. I thought playing with that would be an interesting scene. Thank you for listening to me ramble!


	3. Chapter 3: A Song of a Declaration

The Dress of Heaven, Irisviel von Einzbern had wandered this field of flowers for some time. It seemed an endless paradise, filled with gently rolling hills. As a Servant, she had no need for food or sleep but she required a constant supply of mana which seemed to be provided to her by some unseen power. She had used a great deal of this power to materialize in front of Maiya Hisau and bestow the knowledge given to her by living through a version of the Fourth Holy Grail War. Irisviel knew she could trust Maiya, for she had grown to trust her in Irisviel's original Fourth Holy Grail War.

Somewhere in the sea of flowers, she found a gazebo of pure alabaster marble. It was supported by five pillars, with four of its sides enclosed off by a waist high railing. The railings, the pillars, and the roof that supported it were all decorated by ornate carvings, elegant swirls resembling tree branches. She stepped inside, noting a crystal ball upon a pedestal, with two marble chairs flanking it. Irisviel noticed then that there was a presence within this gazebo, a Servant.

"Oi, you took awhile, Caster." A man, clad in nothing but a tattered red cloth and a headband of the same material, sat lazily in the left chair. His body was scrawled with an endless pattern of tattoos, representing All the World's Evil forced upon the nameless man. Irisviel recognized him instantly.

She regarded him with a blank expression. "Angra Mainyu, Avenger. What purpose do you have here?"

"That's a damn good question." He leaned back in his chair, threatening to tip the heavy stone. "I think I showed up a bit after you, and I've been looking around just as you have. Another Grail War? I think I've had my share of repeating those things."

He wasn't answering the question. "Why were you summoned?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. Might've been the World, might've been Humanity's Counter Force, might've been one incarnation of the Grail." He let his chair fall back into place. "Do you know why you were summoned, Irisviel von Einzbern?"

Irisviel didn't and she had no reason to hide it. "I do not, but there must be a purpose to this."

"Purpose… purpose... " He laughed. "Is there always a purpose to things? Sometimes, things just happen. You can find your own purpose in it."

Irisviel shook her head. "There is purpose in this Grail War. I shall see to it that the Grail is destroyed."

"The Grail, huh…? Oh, yeah..." He looked off to the side, into the depths of the fields of flowers. " It's still got me in there, trying to be birthed as All the World's Evil and flush the world with curses."

Irisviel lifted her head, staring down at him. "If you are still hoping to hold the Grail hostage, corrupted by your own wish, then I will destroy you myself, Avenger."

He didn't seem phased by her threat. As Avenger, he was the weakest Servant. Irisviel would be able to defeat him easily. "Nah, it's not like that. You know who I look like, right?"

"You've taken to look like Shirou Emiya, the child that my husband will adopt."

"Exactly, and that means I've come from a place where the Grail had already been destroyed, and that I used my wish for something else." Irisviel began to understand, but Avenger continued. "In some cases, I am both All the World's Evil and Heroic Spirit Angra Mainyu, but I can also be seperate from All the World's Evil. But you should know that, right, Caster?"

She dismissed his prodding. "You've been summoned for some other task then?"

"Probably." Again, he shrugged. "I have no clue." He snapped his fingers, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, it looks like All the World's Evil has cursed that Archer."

"What? How can you know?"

"I still have some sorta connection to All the World's Evil and the womb of the Holy Grail, so I was able to enter it for a bit. Gilgamesh was summoned by Tokiomi Tohsaka, right? Looks like All the World's Evil diverted him for a bit and made him a puppet."

"But Gilgamesh surely was evil in my timeline… He wished to birth you there as well."

"Yeah, but things happened, and Gilgamesh is kinda a crybaby when he's an Archer. Here though? Maybe All the World's Evil wants to be birthed faster. I don't really know, Caster." Avenger gestured to the crystal ball. "Perhaps that's why we're here though, huh? Want to stop the birth of Angra Mainyu, Irisviel von Einzbern?"

He was making fun of her, naturally, but Irisviel had no reason to fear Avenger. She sat down in her own chair and set about looking out toward this Holy Grail War. If Avenger offered his help, she'd use it to fulfill her mission.

* * *

Gilles de Rais had two images seared into his mind.

The first was of Jeanne d'Arc, his friend, standing upon a hill during one of their battles against the British. The standard and her hair blew in the wind, yet she stood strong against the hordes that they fought against. She turned to him, a smile upon her face. "Gilles… Do you think God is with us?"

He felt the excitement catch up to him. "Yes, of course He is, Jeanne! He must be!" She showed no fear in the face of war, even as she had told him before that she was fearful. For this, there could be no one more inspiring than Jeanne d'Arc to Gilles. She was his greatest friend and he loved her for it. If the Saint of Orleans continued to smile, Gilles could put away his fears of the darkness of the world for the rest of time.

The second image was that of the vision that had filled his mind upon hearing of Jeanne's fate. The roaring fire, claiming the Maiden of Orleans to eternity. Her bravery had been discarded and her smile had been lost for all time. He weeped then, for that was all he could do. When Jeanne d'Arc was burned at the stake, Gilles de Rais was also killed by the madness that consumed his mind.

Now, in the sewers under Fuyuki, Gilles once again saw the Holy Maiden, Jeanne d'Arc. Through his crystal ball, he saw that she had been summoned as the Servant Saber. His only wish, to return his greatest friend, Jeanne d'Arc, back to him had been granted!

He had no time to waste. He left the hideout, sparing no words to his Master, Ryuunosuke, and went to see his long departed best friend in the reunion he always wished for.

* * *

A streak of silver-grey flashed each time the sportscar that Irisviel von Einzbern drove crossed under the spotlight of one of the many street lamps that dotted the roadway. She drifted past one of the bends in the road, sliding back into position as a straightaway appeared. Her movements on the steering wheel were erratic, making her passenger, Saber, extremely nervous.

Saber held onto the car's ceiling grab handle tightly. She thought that, maybe, Kiritsugu had installed the handles because he too feared the immense power of Irisviel's driving, but… Something about the way Irisviel drove seemed too erratic, as if Irisviel was playing a big joke on her.

"Isn't this car fast, Saber?" Irisviel looked like she was having the time of her life. Saber felt her eyes spin. "I always drove this around the Einzbern castle, doing circle upon circle!" Was Irisviel used to driving on nothing but ice? Was she constantly trying to correct a slide on ice but then realized she was just driving on a regular road? Saber couldn't tell.

Apparently, Maiya had stashed the car in Fuyuki much earlier under Kiritsugu's orders so that Saber and Irisviel wouldn't have to rely on other people for transportation. Saber didn't quite understand his thought process, considering that if Irisviel crashed, which they seemed to be constantly on the verge of doing, then the car would be gone in an instant.

"Yes, quite fast… Did Kiritsugu teach you to drive?"

"Oh yes, of course!" She nearly spun the car out, but kept it going straight. "It's my favorite of the toys that Kiritsugu brought me."

A toy, huh…? She looked to the road. "Aren't you driving on the wrong side of the road, Irisviel?"

"Oh, yes. It appears I am!" She shifted into the other lane, almost crashing.

Saber watched the bright smile on Irisviel's face as she continued to drive. She couldn't understand how exactly Irisviel was enjoying such danger, but she wouldn't say anything. As long as no Servants or Masters tried to attack-

"Stop the car!"

Irisviel seemed to panic, twisting the steering wheel left to bring the car to a swift halt. Smoke seemed to waft up from the asphalt from the rubber screeching against it, but it did stop. Irisviel and Saber turned to look right to the road, out into the night, illuminated only by the street lamps. "Get out of the car when I do. Stay behind it, run only if absolutely necessary.

Saber stepped out, and Irisviel followed her action. This Servant… Clad in this elaborate silken robe, outlined with sanguine reds, a man stood there. His back was bent, as if old age had begun to affect him, and his eyes were hyper fixated on Saber herself - almost straining out of his skull in his vast excitement. This couldn't be Assassin, as it was unlikely she'd see Assassin standing out in the open like this. So was it Archer or Caster?

His smile was so utterly off putting, Saber was unsure if she should draw her sword immediately to strike him down immediately, or demand to know his intentions. The Servant decided for her.

"I've been waiting for- Oh, where are my manners…" He bowed his head as deeply as he could. "I have been waiting for so long, my Holy Maiden!"

Saber was confused to such an extent that her words did not come out as eloquently as they usually would. "What?" She had utterly no clue who this was.

"Are you confused, Jeanne? It is understandable, for I was a bit confused when I was summoned!" He had not, but still, he held out his arms as if to beckon her toward him. "Do not worry, I can help you!"

Saber took a step back. "Who are you?"

His face twisted into worry. "Oh no, it must have been worse than I thought…" His face shifted again, a horrifying distortion of an attempt to give her a comforting smile. "It is I, Jeanne! Your greatest friend, Gilles de Rais!"

Irisviel whispered over the roof of the car. "He really is mistaking you for someone else, Saber."

"I see," Saber said, beginning to harden her stance and stand between a mad man and her lady. "Gilles de Rais, do you claim to be the Servant known as Caster?"

Caster nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, Lady Jeanne, the Grail called for me to fill the role of Caster, but don't you see that it has granted me my wish already-"

"I do not know who you are, Gilles de Rais, and I am not the woman you claim I am."

Caster's face was one of simple surprise, but it violently crashed into a twisted visage of utter despair. He clutched at his hair, his face becoming slick with sweat and tears. "No, no, no… Please, Jeanne!" Caster fell to the floor, clasping his hands to beg her. "Please remember me, Jeanne! You are the only one who could grant meaning to my life! All I did was pray that you would be returned to me!"

Saber regarded the man's sobs with apprehension. "As you have declared yourself, Caster, I will as well. I am Artoria Pendragon, the King of Britain."

Caster fell immediately into hysteria. "How could this happen?" he screamed out. "Finally returning the Holy Maiden to me only to destroy her memories and fill her mind with fairy tales! Was it the Grail or was it God that did this to punish me? Or is it to punish Jeanne? How could you do such a thing!"

Saber only watched in silence as this man languished in agony, but Irisviel spoke to her. "Saber, he cannot be reasoned with."

Saber nodded slowly. If all hopes to appeal to reason would be void, she would use force. "Pick yourself off the ground, Caster. Even if I was the woman you speak of, I will still fight you to lay claim to the Grail."

Some sanity seemed to return to Caster's face, and he pulled himself up to kneel before Saber. "Do not worry, Jeanne, for the Holy Grail War must be about to end! If you have been brought back to me, then the Grail surely must have chosen for me, Gilles de Rais, to win! My wish has already been granted!"

"What a fool…" Saber remarked, grasping the air in front of her to unsheathe Excalibur. She split apart the air in front of her and Caster, pointing the unseen tip of her blade flatly at Caster's nose. "If you continue to speak such ceaseless drivel, I will strike you down without a second thought, Caster." Her face was utterly cold.

Caster calmed slowly, bringing himself to stand. "I see I cannot reach your heart with mere words. I am sorry, but I will have to prepare for our next meeting." There was a similar hollowness in his face as well. He thrusted himself backward, his robes billowing with immense power as he put distance between himself and Saber. He stood straight now, his long hair and robes flowing around himself. "When we next meet, I will save you from this curse, Jeanne." Without another word, he disappeared into the night.

Saber still stood, tense, but Irisviel collapsed against her side of the car. "What a tiresome Servant…"

"Very," Saber said, letting some of the tension go. "I should have struck him down… but I fear if a battle were to occur, the damage to the surrounding area would be difficult for me to mitigate."

"How do you mean, Saber?"

"If we were to fight… I feel as if the power unleashed by Caster would be something I could not stop with my power diminished by Lancer's Noble Phantasm." The unsaid thing about that, of course, was the possible danger to Irisviel. Irisviel didn't seem to notice.

Both returned to the car, and Irisviel began to carefully realign the car back up with the road. "Saber, might I ask… What upset you so much about his words?"

Saber was solemn. "All wishes require effort. For one to be granted something without fighting for it, it can only be a curse."

* * *

"Kayneth, I don't understand how you could think that the outcome of that battle was acceptable." Sola-Ui said, one leg resting over the other while she sat down in one of the incredibly expensive chairs of their room in the Hyatt hotel.

"That is… I…" Kayneth stood in front of her. He couldn't find an answer she would find acceptable.

"Lancer's Gae Dearg is the perfect weapon to counteract the possessive nature of Berserker's Noble Phantasm, and yet you thought that defeating Saber, with one hand tied behind her back, was a more pressing issue?" She shook her head. "Reconsider your battle strategy."

"Sola, you must understand the power of the Saber class-"

"Then you should have struck down that Einzbern homunculus yourself instead of hiding as Lancer fought. Defeating the Master also defeats the Servant, does it not, Kayneth?"

While it was true that Servants could exist for a very short time after their Master was defeated or their contract severed, and Servants with Independent Action could survive even longer than that, if he had eliminated the Einzbern homunculus like Sola-Ui said… Yes, Sola-Ui was making him look like a failure of a Master and a mage.

He bowed his head to her. Even if she made him look a fool, he still loved her more than anything else. "Lancer," he called out, seeing his Servant materialize in a respectful kneel. "If you are to meet another Servant while in the presence of Saber, then defeat that Servant before you engage in whatever fanciful duel you have planned with her."

Lancer bowed his head. "I will do so, my Master."

Sola-Ui seemed pleased. While she did not possess the magical prowess of Kayneth El-Melloi, one could say she was much more understanding of the nature of the Holy Grail War. In a situation like the one that had occured at the wharf, some manner of risk taking was necessary to defeat the other Masters. Unfortunately, neither Kayneth nor Sola-Ui had known of the presence of Kiritsugu Emiya and Maiya Hisau, both of whom would have struck them down instantly if they had went for Irisviel. That was simply how it was, though.

"Very good, Kayneth. I suspect you understand what must be done while Lancer does his duty."

"Yes… I do."

Lancer spoke up, still kneeling, but looking at Sola-Ui. "Lady Sola, please do not humiliate my Master further. As a knight, I cannot simply stand by while you do so."

Sola-Ui seemed to sway slightly, her face changing to that of mild embarrassment. "Yes, of course… I went too far, I apologize, Lancer."

Kayneth could not help but look directly at the love spot on Lancer's face. This curse was the bane of the plan that he had constructed for his victory in the Holy Grail War. He had done his research on Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, but he must have underestimated the power that the curse held. Or maybe… He looked to Sola-Ui. Was she willingly submitting herself to Lancer…?

No. No. Both Sola-Ui and himself understood what was necessary to acquire the Holy Grail at the very end of the Holy Grail War. They both needed to acquire the Holy Grail for the Mage's Association, so if Sola-Ui were to betray him and steal his command seals with a sound mind, she would be required to resurrect Lancer using the Holy Grail.

Betraying Kayneth would go against all their goals in the Mage's Association, and either he would tell of her betrayal, or rumours would spread when he did not return despite the victory of his side. There was no way a betrayal would work.

So, the Love Spot of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne… Had he misjudged the power of it? Was it simply too powerful for Sola-Ui to counteract with her natural magic resistance? If so… he would need to win this Holy Grail War as soon as possible, to free his fiancee from the curse on Diarmuid's face.

Just as he came to this thought, the fire alarm went off. Kayneth smiled. "So Saber's Master wishes to take away that curse. Very well." Both Lancer and Sola-Ui watched as Kayneth moved to the window. "I have reinforced my homebase amply, Einzberns. I hope you enjoy what I have prepared for you."

Lancer nodded and disappeared to meet Saber. Sola-Ui watched with a smile on her face. Kayneth laughed, waiting for his inevitable victory in his home territory.

* * *

Maiya Hisau watched as Kayneth El-Melloi laughed, eyeing him through the scope of the AUG assault rifle.

"Is everything set?" came Kiritsugu's voice over their earpieces.

"No irregularities. El-Melloi expects nothing."

"Good."

Maiya was stationed on one of the higher floors of the temporarily named Fuyuki shopping centre. It was still a construction site, but that made it much more suitable for the purposes of watching Kayneth and moving to engage him should he try to escape.

A moment later, the Hyatt hotel collapsed in on itself. None would be any the wiser to the Holy Grail War, only seeing an unfortunate accident with no casualties. Maiya wondered why Kiritsugu had chosen to evacuate the building beforehand. To her, the man she knew to be her father would have sooner destroyed Kayneth instantly than let him know he was coming for him, but… He hadn't done that. That truly confused Maiya.

"Maiya, how are things on your end?"

"There was no chance for them to evacuate."

Kiritsugu said nothing more, and she hefted the AUG back over her shoulder. She stood to leave, but she froze instead, pivoting to look into the darkness of the construction site. Her handgun was already in her hand.

"You must have been taught well," came the voice. It was cold, unfeeling, and she could sense the intent to destroy her hidden within. He tossed something in front of her, the familiar she had lost contact with near the church on the hill.

She knew who he was instantly. "Kotomine…" So she had been proven right, without a shred of doubt remaining. He exposed himself without fear and Maiya set her sights on him.

"Oh? You know who I am?" He seemed intrigued, but then a realization hit him. "I see who you are then as well. Who is Kiritsugu Emiya to you that you would follow him into battle so blindly? Is he not a magus that cares not about the collateral he creates?" He looked out toward the rubble of the Hyatt hotel. "That is what the title of Magus Killer means."

Maiya knew that eventually, this would come to blows. Against a seasoned Executor, she would be forced to be at least six steps ahead of him at every turn, but she knew that was impossible. Retreat was her only option. She tried to find the most effective escape route while Kotomine Kirei rambled on.

"This seems much like a one-sided conversation. Why not answer one of my questions? Where is Kiritsugu Emiya?"

She looked at him. Maiya had very few options, so she would have to take a gamble. Simultaneously, she fired three times at his centre of mass and rolled out of the way toward the cover of a nearby pillar. Instead of hearing the body of Kirei Kotomine drop to the floor, she instead hears all three of her shots hit the floor and a glint of metal above her during the roll.

A sword, with weight focused at the tip and a short hilt. It was a weapon designed for throwing and impaling. A Black Key. She had heard of a member of the Holy Church who could cause their Black Keys to burst into flames, immolating their target upon impalement. If these Black Keys were really this dangerous, getting hit would guarantee either her capture or her death.

She rolled behind the pillar, her gun still in her hand.

"You've surpassed my expectations. If you are merely the student…" He must be looking forward to a battle with Kiritsugu. Unfortunately, Maiya could not stop that battle from occurring herself. She couldn't even seem to hit him with her gun.

He had predicted the exact moment she would fire and evaded her attack with superhuman reflexes. On top of that, he had hoped to hit her with a Black Key simultaneously. He just hadn't expected her to roll. Now, she just needed an opening to escape.

"What is it, Maiya? What happened?"

That confirmed it for Kotomine. "Why not call for help, _Maiya_?"

She really was running out of options. If she brought the AUG back into her hands, there would be no way she could retreat if he came for her in that split second. If she shot at him again, she doubted he could even hit him.

A small canister bounced into position near Kirei Kotomine and a haze of smoke filled the air. He pulled Black Keys into both of his hands, throwing one in the direction of Maiya as she retreated. He couldn't hit her, merely standing there in anticipation of a new attacker.

The smoke was swept away in a matter of seconds by the wind, and no Kiritsugu Emiya appeared. That was… disappointing.

His lead to Kiritsugu Emiya had fled, but that did not mean he would not find him soon. That woman, though… Maiya? He found her interesting as well. Why would she follow Kiritsugu Emiya so blindly in this war? Was she fighting for the same reasons he did… A woman searching for something through a man searching for something? She had saw through his and Tokiomi's initial falsehood, so he would have to be extremely careful around her…

She was in the way of his goal of meeting Kiritsugu Emiya.

* * *

"Families killed, at least thirty children missing… What a worthless fill in of a Master."

Kirei could hear Tokiomi's anger leaking out from their communication device of jewel magecraft. Risei was the main one communicating with Tokiomi, and Kirei stood off to the side.

"For both the secrecy of the Holy Grail War, and for the moral duty of eliminating such a vile pairing we should do something, correct, Tokiomi?"

"Yes, if this Master, this 'Ryuunosuke', is merely using the bond between Servant and Master to wreak havoc, the Tohsaka must stand against it as the keepers of this land. A lesser punishment will do nothing to change the mind of someone who does not respect the authority of the Holy Church or the guardians of Fuyuki."

Risei nodded. "As the arbitrator of the Holy Grail War, I believe I have the answer to our quandary."

Tokiomi and Risei spoke some more on how they would utilize the prize of a Command Seal to give the other Masters an incentive to go after Caster and his Master. Kirei's role was simple in this, utilize Assassin to allow Archer to deal the killing blow. That was no problem to Kirei.

Risei left the room when their discussion ended, but when Kirei moved to leave, he heard Tokiomi speak. "Kirei, I heard you left the church to do something on your own last night."

Kirei deflected it without much thought. "My apologies. I understand the risk, but I discovered a spy near the church-"

"A spy? Who was their target?"

"Do not worry, I took care to eliminate them."

"Why did you not use Assassin?"

"I thought Assassin would not be required. It was a trivial action."

Tokiomi was quiet for a time, and Kirei waited. Kirei already knew what he was going to say to Tokiomi. "... I understand you are a highly skilled Executor with high confidence in his own ability, Kirei, but you are still not officially in the war. Do you not think your actions have been careless?"

Kirei answered swiftly once more. "No, you are correct. I will be more careful in the future."

Tokiomi did not respond after that, but Kirei stayed until he was absolutely sure Tokiomi was satisfied, and left only then. Assassin was there to greet him in spirit form when he left the underground area.

"Master…" she spoke, making sure her words came via their link and not aloud. "Forgive me, but we am concerned."

He kept walking, his destination being his room in the church. "There is no need for concern, Assassin. I am simply doing my duty."

Assassin knew this was untrue, but he was still their Master. "Of course, but seeking Kiritsugu Emiya was something that your mentor disapproved of. We sense, however, that you wish to seek him out again."

Kirei pressed his hand against the door to his room, pausing. "Yes, I do."

Assassin had considered all the tools in their arsenal, but she had brought the one they were all given from being Kirei Kotomine's Servant. "The connection between Master and Servant allows each to dream the pasts of the other."

Kirei turned his head just enough so he could look at Hundred Personas through the corner of his left eye. The dreams… He had seen them. A person, stuck in an endless war as a faithful member of the Order of Assassins. Killing, so much killing. Never did they remember any of it as a single entity, compartmentalizing themself as a result of their dissociative identity disorder into numerous personalities with unique specializations and skills. Surely, he thought, Assassin knew their purpose was in killing.

Hundred Personas merely stared at him, before she set her hand on her mask. For a moment, it seemed she would remove it, but she merely shifted it to adjust its position upon her face. "I have seen your life, Master. We have all seen your life."

He turned back to the door, still not entering. "And?" It was less a dismissal but more to ask what they thought of the pointless agony he put himself through.

He could not see her when she spoke, but he envisioned her eyes to judge him like he judged himself. She raised her hand, almost to set it upon his shoulder to attempt to comfort the man she and the rest of the Hundred Personas saw in such immense pain. Her hand faltered, her grip closing in a loose fist. "She was right," Assassin finally said. "You truly did love her."

Kirei said nothing and waited for Hundred Personas to leave. She did, after a time, leaving the hole in his heart aching more than it had before. Finally, he opened the door to his room.

He had not expected Gilgamesh to be within, lounging on his couch with a glass of wine in his hand. "Archer…?" There were countless bottles of wine lying around, all sampled by the King of Heroes as was his supposed right as the rightful claimant to his garden of the universe.

"Your collection is much more deserving of a king to taste it than Tokiomi's collection." Gilgamesh regarded him with a look of utmost curiosity. "Hm, Kirei?"

This wine was just another thing that Kirei had heard about, attempting to use it to fill the void. It seemed as well that another would simply use it for their own amusement. He shook his head. He did not care for it in particular. "What do you want?"

Gilgamesh raised the wine glass by the stem, gazing over the whole of Kirei Kotomine. "It appears I am not the only one bored by this war." Kirei saw through it immediately, but Gilgamesh continued on. "Are you not also unsatisfied by being merely a soldier for Tokiomi?"

Kirei dodged the question without a second thought. Gilgamesh, even being the King of Heroes, was still a Servant. "So you are still unsatisfied with your contract, Gilgamesh?"

Archer smirked, snorted, and took another sip. "He is still my Master, so I will treat him as such." He looked back to Kirei. "But, he is truly a boring man… Simply wanting to acquire the Holy Grail for access to Akasha? Pointless…"

"That is the wish of all magi, we are not meant to comprehend it."

Gilgamesh seemed to have expected a response of that sort, and easily countered. "As an Executor for the Holy Church… you would oppose magi then?"

Kirei thought for a moment, coming at it from the perspective of an Executor rather than the apprentice of Tokiomi Tohsaka. "The Root is something outside the world. Our duty as the Church is only concerning the interior."

Gilgamesh nodded. "My concern is also only for the interior, Kirei…" He swirled the liquid in the glass, looking at Kirei through the crimson window. "So the Church wishes that this Holy Grail grant a wish that will not disturb the interior… So why are you needed?"

Simple. "The other Masters hope only for riches or power. I am to ensure Tokiomi uses the Grail for, as you have said, Archer, a pointless wish."

"But riches and power… They are my favorite things." He smiled again, gesturing for Kirei to sit. Slowly, and watching Gilgamesh for every moment, he did. "What is wrong with such things?"

"You are a king ruling over the rabble. Think what you wish."

Gilgamesh laughed. "You say the other Masters wish for riches or power… and if you do not seek the Root like Tokiomi does…" He left the question hanging ambiguously.

"I do not have any special wish." He steeled himself after his conversation with Hundred Personas. Gilgamesh was not his Servant, so he felt no need to bring out his entire heart.

Gilgamesh seemed to not have expected such confidence in his answer, but the smile seemed to deepen with such a response. "You Masters are all chosen for a reason, are you not? This reason is always for the granting of a wish…"

Kirei felt a chill grow across his body, as if he was about to be attacked and he was powerless to stop it. He did not show this on his face in the slightest, but even so he felt like Gilgamesh had seen through him. Kirei still needed to play this game, there was simply no walking away. "Perhaps that was how the system was designed, Archer, but I have no wish. I can only ask why I was chosen."

The King of Heroes tipped the wine glass in Kirei's direction. "If you don't have any ideal you wish to further, or any objective you wish to accomplish… is not bathing yourself in the fountains of pleasure not enough?"

Kirei felt a rage bubble inside of himself. "You expect a man of God to indulge in mere pleasures? To sin?"

Gilgamesh had caught him in another trap. "What is so sinful about pleasure?" He smiled darkly. "There's nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to enjoying oneself, isn't that right? Pleasure is a fundamental part of the human experience."

Kirei was caught off guard completely. "Pleasure is not for a priest-"

Archer sat up. "Priests are still men. Did you never learn such simple things?" Kirei looked away and said nothing. Gilgamesh took this as an opportunity to push further. "Luckily for you, I am interested in humanity. I will be the one to teach you about pleasures, Kirei…"

Kirei raised an eyebrow. Was that a proposition…?

"Let us see if you are interested in my own pleasures to begin with. Why not see why the other Masters seek the Holy Grail? I enjoy observing the actions of those in my garden, and aren't you already observing them with your own Servant?"

Kirei could not deny that he was already in position to do what Gilgamesh asked. "Fine, I will have Assassin seek out this information as well, but it is unlikely that they will be talking about their wish for the Grail at all times."

Gilgamesh nodded. "Of course. Take all the time you need." He smiled again as he rose. "But don't take too long." He left without another word.

Kirei was intrigued by Gilgamesh, but he did not see anything coming out of this. Kiritsugu Emiya was the one who had the answers he sought, not the King of Heroes.

* * *

In that forest at the outskirts of Fuyuki, laid a splendid castle. Wrapped in mystery, clad in rumours, none have been able to lay eyes upon it, until those days that a Holy Grail War erupts.

The dining hall had been transformed into a command centre for the operations of the Einzbern side. A map of the forest and a blueprint of the layout of the castle had been brought up and laid out on the table in preparation for their next steps in the Grail War. Kiritsugu already had his plan thought out, he and Maiya had already made the necessary preparations.

An hour ago, a flare had gone up over the Fuyuki church. The mediator of the Grail War had given out the new objective for the participants of the war. Eliminate Caster and his Master and receive a Command Seal in return. For Kiritsugu, this was perfect. Irisviel had told him about their encounter with Caster as soon as she and Saber had arrived. Caster would come, it was guaranteed.

However, he had other things to explain. "As the Einzbern side, there are four points of leyline convergence that we must be aware of. Firstly, Mount Enzo and the Ryuudou temple, which possesses a powerful bounded field. Saber will need to be careful on an approach, as anyone other than a Servant will be required to enter by the mountain path."

Neither Saber nor Kiritsugu gave each other a single glance. This was their covenant as Servant and Master, and they had both promised each other to never break it. For Saber, this was difficult. To ask a question, she would have to ask Irisviel to ask it for her. It was simply easier not to ask.

Kiritsugu went on. "The second position is the Tohsaka mansion. With Tokiomi's Archer still unknown, and Assassin and their Master still in play, we shouldn't consider it until we know more. The other two, the church and the residential development zone, are areas we should consider but our choice remains open."

"So, we will be taking one of these positions when the Grail War begins to end," Irisviel said.

"Correct. Any questions?"

Saber set a hand on Irisviel's shoulder and she nodded to her knight. "As for our immediate concerns, Kiritsugu, all the other Masters will be focused on Caster, won't they?"

"Yes, for the reward of a Command Seal, they will be scrambling for him. For us, however, our position is more advantageous if we stay put. We know his True Name." A dark smile set itself on his face. "If he believes Saber to be Jeanne d'Arc, then he will come to us. We only need to wait."

Saber pressed her fist against the table, looking directly at Kiritsugu. She knew the promise she had made, but she could not let Caster run free like this. A monster like that could not be allowed to continue operations. She tried to get Kiritsugu to look at her, tried to use the intensity of her gaze to force him to look at her. "Master-"

Irisviel held up her hand to Saber. "We could easily go after Caster ourselves, couldn't we, Kiritsugu?"

He simply shook his head. Seemingly, he hadn't noticed Saber's call. "There's no need. Someone else will certainly deal with Caster."

Irisviel was surprised at this. Not even fighting Caster? But…

"Caster will come for Saber, and the other Masters will come for Caster. We attack from the side, eliminating who we can. They won't see it coming."

Saber gripped both hands on the table. "That's… That's unacceptable! There is more to the Holy Grail War than simple victory! What could possibly be worth sacrificing all of your morals, the lives of the innocents that Caster will surely take-"

Irisviel saw. "El-Melloi…"

Saber looked to her arm. The wound was still there. Maiya and Kiritsugu had said they had killed Lancer's Master but… "You seek to kill that man while he seeks to destroy a monster… Just how despicable a person do you wish to be…?"

Kiritsugu said nothing, so Irisviel was forced to speak. "You're insulting the Heroic Spirits, Kiritsugu…"

He said nothing, so Saber tried again. "I fight to protect the innocent, minimize the bloodshed of the Holy Grail War but still fight for the Grail… That is the purpose of Servants. Lancer will honor our agreement to duel, so there is no need to draw out his Master... " Or… "Is it that you do not have faith in me, a Servant?"

Still Kiritsugu said nothing, as if no one had said anything at all. Irisviel could not help but look away from it all. This man had replaced her husband. This cold, calculating machine that only cared for the elimination of the other Masters… He was the Kiritsugu that had come before. In some ways, there was pride in her heart, seeing that he had changed, but even deeper there was a despair that he had reverted back in an instant.

Neither could get him to speak, so a silence descended upon the meeting. Kiritsugu decided that marked the ending. "That will be all then." He looked to Maiya, who stood near the door. "Maiya, return to Fuyuki and continue reconnaissance."

She nodded once. "Of course." She left immediately.

"Saber will prepare to distract Caster, and…" He looked to Irisviel. "You and I will stay here in the fortress." Without once glancing at Saber, he collected his documents and left the room.

Saber bit her tongue, staring forward with all the intensity of a knight such as herself. She had agreed with Kiritsugu to work separately from him, but this was far more than she thought the arrangement would go. Yet the relationship between Master and Servant was thus… What could she do? There was no way Saber could convince him to change.

Saber looked to Irisviel, her voice wavering. "Irisviel…"

She stood, her eyes steeled. "I understand, Saber." She left immediately, surely running after Kiritsugu to try and change his mind. Saber was left all alone with her thoughts. Despair was all she had left with her.

Saber moved to leave herself, stepping out into the hallway. She noticed an immediate presence there, but it was neither Irisviel nor Kiritsugu. It was that third person, the one who stayed in Kiritsugu's shadow to support him.

Maiya pushed off from the wall and looked into Saber's eyes. Both of them watched each other for a moment. Saber couldn't tell what her intentions were, but already she had done something Kiritsugu had not. If Maiya was anything like Kiritsugu, then Saber would need to be on guard.

"Saber, if you would come with me." Maiya began to walk down the hallway. Saber paused, hesitated, then followed.

"Where are we going? I had plans to prepare for Caster's arrival."

Maiya didn't look back to answer her question. "Do not worry. This is important."

They walked for awhile, but Maiya said nothing. Saber was forced, out of some curiosity, to ask her more. "You and my Master… What exactly is your relationship?"

Maiya stopped for a moment, letting Saber come beside her instead of simply leading the way. Her features were a bit softer now. "Kiritsugu is like… my father."

Saber shook her head in disbelief. "What? I thought that Illyasviel..."

"I guess Illya is like my little sister." A small smile slid onto Maiya's face. To Saber, it seemed like an entirely different person had swapped places with Maiya. This was not at all what she had expected.

"Have… have you ever met your little sister then?"

"We've talked on the phone once or twice." She looked to Saber, and for a moment, Saber could see the girl beneath the soldier. "I hope that one day I can meet her. I think that she would be happy to know she has a big sister."

Saber nodded. She understood. "I think she would be happy too." With her thoughts on Kiritsugu's family, she frowned. "Why hasn't my Master… Shouldn't he have introduced you to Irisviel and Illyasviel?"

Maiya looked away, the smile gone. "I wonder as well, but I know one thing. He is scared."

"Scared? He doesn't show it on his face at all." To say Kiritsugu felt anything was preposterous.

Maiya shook her head gently. "Before, he had only himself. When he had me, something shifted. With Madame Irisviel and Illya… He has to protect them now." She stopped, gesturing to the open doorway that lead out onto the balcony. Maiya pressed a finger to her lips, urging Saber to silence as she took a peek outside to confirm her suspicions. With a nod, she stepped to the side to let Saber look.

What she saw was Irisviel and her Master, Kiritsugu. Instead of the man without remorse, the man without morals, the man without compassion… She saw just as what Maiya had described, a scared man, clutching his wife tightly as he shook with uncontrollable emotion "I'm so scared, Iri…"

Saber took a step back, retreating with Maiya. "I don't understand…" she said, confusion furrowing her brow. "If my Master, Kiritsugu Emiya, wishes to claim the Holy Grail and protect you all, why doesn't he stand by my side?"

Maiya took up the whole of Saber's attention. "This is the only way he can fight. To support you, to protect us, to win the Holy Grail, he must become the person that he was. That was why he put forth the arrangement between the two of you, and that is why he entrusted his wife to you."

"But to just let Caster roam…"

"He knows, and you've seen. These choices are made in the only way he knows how."

Saber looked down, trying to ascertain her opinion. Even knowing all this, the choice he had made had been wrong. They needed to protect those innocents that Caster would bring harm to, but at least now she understood. The only thing that had changed was that she understood. "Very well, Maiya. I will put my trust in my Master once again. If this is to happen again, however, I will tell him the same. That is my promise."

Maiya nodded, satisfied. "Of course. That is the way of the Heroic Spirits."

With the sounds of heavy feet on carpet, Irisviel came running down the hallway. "Saber, Maiya. He's here."

"Already?" Saber said. "We've had no time to prepare."

Maiya raised a hand. "We have. Leave the defence of the castle and Madame Irisviel to us. Your battle is with Caster, Saber."

Saber smiled, grasping Maiya's hand. They were both knights, in this way, and Saber felt an odd sense of kinship. "I entrust Irisviel to you, Maiya."

Maiya didn't understand the odd handshake but she went along with it. A Heroic Spirit placing trust in you seemed like a great honour. "Good luck to you, Saber."

* * *

As Kiritsugu disappeared to prepare for Kayneth's arrival, Irisviel, Saber and Maiya gathered together to watch Caster's actions. He was at that position near the bounded field, close enough for Irisviel to detect and watch him via crystal ball but not close enough for any of the forest's traps to be usable.

His hostages, elementary school children, were the obvious bait for Saber. When Caster began his sick game, Irisviel gave the order. Saber leapt into action immediately.

Maiya set a hand on Irisviel's shoulder. "Come, Madame, we shouldn't be here when Kiritsugu engages Lancer's Master." They left, leaving their hopes on both Saber and Kiritsugu.

* * *

Avenger and the Dress of Heaven watched carefully.

"You really trust this Maiya, Caster? How do you know that she's gonna do what you want? Weren't Kiritsugu and her having an affair in your Grail War?"

Irisviel mulled this over, watching as Saber went on to engage Caster. It was the same as the last time. Caster attacked Saber, the hostages were lost, Lancer moved in to aid Saber. That was not what she had expected. She had expected Lancer to attack Saber this time… "It looks like El-Melloi learned his lesson…"

"Eh?"

"Nothing… Do I trust Maiya? Of course I trust her. Even with that affair, I would still trust that Maiya Hisau, just like I trust this Maiya Hisau. Some things in the Grail War change, but the fundamental base of who someone is is unchangeable. Kiritsugu Emiya will always be the Magus Killer, you will always be Avenger, I will always be a homunculus of the Einzberns."

Avenger pointed to a new image on the crystal ball. "That El-Melloi guy always tries to kill your husband?"

Caster looked to see El-Melloi preparing Volumen Hydrargyrum for his assault of the Einzbern castle. "Kiritsugu will surely defeat him again," she said, and shifted her attention elsewhere. The Maiya and Irisviel of this Grail War were retreating with haste. "If all is the same here then…" Yes, she saw Kirei Kotomine at the edge of the forest. "Good luck, Maiya…"

A flash of bright light appeared in another image and her eyes opened wide in surprise. "That's not supposed to- Oh no…"

Avenger peered over. "Yeah, that isn't good."

* * *

Irisviel diligently followed Maiya out of the Einzbern castle and into the darkness of the forest. Maiya had not said anything to her after their departure and Irisviel felt some anxiousness at this. This was Kiritsugu's right hand, and to see her acting much like the cold and detached Kiritsugu that had replaced her husband did not sit well with her. Maiya knew the Kiritsugu she did not…

In truth, Maiya had a thick pit of her own anxiety stuck in her throat. She was with Kiritsugu's wife, Illyasviel's mother. It went without saying that she had to make a good impression with Irisviel. She made sure to be polite, referring to her as 'Madame' and not saying any of the swirling thoughts in her head. Additionally, while it had not been the sole reason for Maiya speaking with Saber, she hoped that Saber would put in a good word with Irisviel for her…

Irisviel stopped suddenly, and Maiya turned around to look. "What is it, Madame?"

"Kirei Kotomine…" Irisviel saw Maiya's brow furrow in apparent anger and she knew instinctively that Maiya and her were the same. "Maiya… We both know that Kotomine cannot be allowed to reach Kiritsugu."

Maiya's anger subsided. "Madame, I must protect you-"

"Yet we must both protect Kiritsugu. If Kotomine and Lord El-Melloi both attack Kiritsugu, he will be in grave danger."

Maiya paused, not showing her thoughts on her face in the slightest. After a moment, she took the Calico submachine gun hanging from her shoulder into her hands, adjusting the stock to fit comfortably into an appropriate firing position. "I understand then, Madame. We'll defeat Kirei Kotomine here."

Irisviel tapped into the bounded field of the Einzbern forest as Maiya went to find a suitable position to fire from. Maiya knew two things about the current situation. One was that Kirei still had Assassin with him, but the second was that Assassin could not infiltrate the inner layer of the bounded field without risking detection, even with Presence Concealment. They were still relatively close to the central point of the field, so they would be safe from Assassin. All that remained was an Executor of the Church in his prime.

For Kiritsugu, Irisviel and Illyasviel… Maiya would kill Kirei Kotomine.

Maiya stood behind a tree, holding her breath as Kirei passed her by. Irisviel gave her a curt nod and began her illusionary diversion. Kirei dodged some unseen and unheard burst of gunfire, crouching down low in the dirt. A moment later another burst came at him from the back and he threw two of his Black Keys in retaliation.

Maiya took her opportunity, shifting out of cover. She brought the submachine gun up and pulled the trigger into Kotomine's back, peppering him with bullets. Without even a single sound from Kirei's lips, he dropped face first to the floor. She took a further step out of cover to confirm the kill, immediately realizing her mistake. No blood splatter, no bullet entry. That meant-

"Maiya!" Irisviel yelled.

A Black Key hurled itself toward Maiya in an instant, tearing through her calf and dropping her to one knee. Kotomine was back on his feet in that instant, advancing towards her. She pulled herself back up as fast as she could, spraying him down with the Calico to try and slow his advance but he closed the distance uninjured. Kevlar or magic, she didn't know, but she couldn't fight him with bullets.

She pulled away from an initial thrust from a Black Key, freeing her combat knife to deflect dual sweeping strikes from the two blades now in his hands. An Executor was trained to kill mages, so he would be looking for a singular decisive strike that would end the match in seconds. She couldn't give him one, she needed to be the one to decide the match!

Another slash came, trying to extending into her guard in a lengthy thrust. She pushed it to the side, turning it around on him to extend deep into his own guard.

She saw the move coming. The Black Key was gone from his left hand and she reversed her grip on the knife, pulling it sharply away from herself and to the side. Kotomine's blood splashed against her as she cut his hand open.

Though he was surprised, it didn't matter to Kirei. Maiya had left herself exposed. He brought the Black Key still in his hand back around, slicing across her abdomen in a single motion. She recoiled, her grip tightening on the knife, but her slight hesitation costed her everything.

Kirei moved in, smashing the forearm of her dominant arm with an elbow strike and then threw her to the ground with an obscene amount of force. She gasped out at the immense pain that tore through her body. It was too much, she couldn't get up. There had been no chance of defeating him…

"Maiya…" he said, holding his bleeding hand. "Your attempt was admirable. Now, tell me where Kiritsugu Emiya is."

She tensed, feeling pain in even attempting to speak. "I'll never let you find him… Even if I die…"

Kirei simply shook his head. "How will you stop me? I chose to break your arm for a reason." With no way to fight back, Maiya was no threat to him. He could extract everything he wanted to know from her.

Irisviel stepped out from the cover of the trees. "I will stop you in her stead, Kirei Kotomine." She stood there, her heart steeled. "You will never face Kiritsugu."

Kirei said nothing, simply watching Saber's supposed Master. Maiya, instead, spoke. "Madame, he's an Executor! You can't-" She couldn't let Irisviel put herself in danger. Even if she was incapacitated, she still had to protect her.

"Maiya, I will protect you today." She closed her eyes, smiling to herself. "For protecting Kiritsugu all those years I could not, I will repay the favor to you."

"Madame…"

Kirei expected nothing from her, a homunculus of the Einzberns. In none of the previous Holy Grail Wars had an Einzbern homunculus possessed adequate fighting capabilities.

But this was no ordinary Einzbern homunculus.

She widened her stance, casting her arm to the side. Those silver threads that were her secret weapon spilled out from her sleeve. "Shape ist Leben! (Shape, conceive life!)" Those threads spooled together, weaving together into the song that was her declaration to Kirei, an eagle of brilliant interweaving threads.

She casted the eagle forward, and the living alchemy sprung toward Kirei, claws bared. He reacted instinctively, dodging to the side to attack the creature with a decisive strike. The bird only caught his fist, breaking down from its eagle form and entangling his arm in a mess of threads. With his other hand injured, he didn't attack with it, instead slamming his fist against a nearby tree to dislodge Irisviel's weapon.

"You chose wrong, Kotomine!" She poured her mana into the threads, focusing them to a point to wrap around the tree Kotomine struck. She bound him there and put all her attention into doing so. If she rested for even a moment, he could easily break free. Even so, one of his arms was still free, so… "Maiya! You have to finish him!"

Maiya grabbed for the submachine gun still attached to her by the strap. Her broken arm splattered pain across her senses and she dropped further into the dirt when she tried to reach out with it. With her offhand, she wrapped her fingers around the handle of the Calico…

Kirei moved as well, slamming the elbow of his injured hand against the tree like a jackhammer. All he needed to do was damage the point where the threads were affixed to gain enough leverage to tear the threads. He tore a chunk of bark off the tree and pulled with his good hand, interweaving his fingers with the threads. They came apart like wet paper and Kirei was free.

Maiya brought the submachine gun to bear and pulled the trigger. With a simple motion, Kirei pushed the gun to the side, spraying bullets off into the forest. He sighed, wrenching the weapon from her hands and pulled the strap off of her body. "That is enough." Kirei tossed the weapon to the side, far from Maiya's reach.

Irisviel took a step back, realizing that she too had lost, but Kirei was already upon her. He pushed her against a tree and held her firmly in place with his hand. She struggled, pulling fruitlessly at his arm. "Homunculus," he said. "Tell me your name."

Tears leaked from her eyes, anger on her face. She said nothing to him, only staring into his dead eyes. Kirei shook his head once again, looking down at Irisviel's hand. There were no Command Seals, so she truly was not the Master of Saber. These two were only pawns of Kiritsugu Emiya.

"You fought to protect Kiritsugu Emiya. Why would you do that?" He couldn't understand why they would hold such love as to protect him as they did. A man like himself deserved no love from the world, so why had…

He felt a pressure on his ankle, and he looked down to see Maiya gripping it firmly with her hand. There was the same rage and hatred in her eyes. "I won't let you hurt her, you monster…" Kirei sighed once again and simply pushed her away with his foot. In her injured state, she provided no resistance once he acted.

If they both protected Kiritsugu Emiya out of love then… Kiritsugu Emiya was not the man he had assumed him to be. Kiritsugu Emiya was nothing like Kirei Kotomine. He… He did not have the answers Kirei desperately craved.

He threw Irisviel to the side and she fell on her back. "Assassin," he said through their telepathic link. "We are departing."

The primary speaker of the Hundred Personas was silent for a moment. When she spoke, she sounded hesitant. "Of course, Master." They and Kirei took off into the night.

Kirei Kotomine would never find the answers he sought. Kirei threw the thought away as soon as it entered his mind.

* * *

Saber and Lancer stood back to back, weapons dripping with the blood of Caster's demons. Each fallen beast only delivered a new one unto them, creating an endless wave of monsters to fight. "We need a way to defeat all of his monsters at once, Lancer. His grimoire is the prime target."

Lancer nodded. "Of course, my Gae Dearg will be the key."

Meanwhile, Caster had not once relented in his tirade. "Jeanne is mine, every piece of flesh, every drop of blood, and even that soul are all mine! You will not have her! She is mine, not yours!" He spoke like a petulant child, as if his favorite toy was being taken away.

Lancer had frankly had enough. "Caster, you heretic, you shall not speak to the King of Knights any longer. You insult both our prides with your disgusting rhetoric." He looked to his partner in this battle. "Shall you clear the path, Saber?"

"I will." Saber raised her blade, preparing the shroud of wind mana. "Strike-!"

She stopped just as a haughty laugh broke through the noise of the creatures. "Is that so, Saber?" Endless gates of shimmering gold appeared around the pair, weapons pouring out to kill Caster's creatures again and again.

Caster, in his surprise and fear, shouted out. "Who are you that you would deny me my Jeanne!?"

Lancer nodded once more to Saber and she readied herself, pushing upward as he jumped onto her shoulders, hurtling him up over the golden gates and straight toward Caster. He sliced cleanly through Caster's spellbook, stopping the resurrection of his demons. Caster disappeared in an instant, fearing his death against the suddenly overwhelming odds.

When the dust cleared, both Lancer and Saber looked up at the glowing Servant standing on a tree branch above them. He smiled, eyes focused only on Saber. "So, you are the other fool that calls themself 'King'. I shall allow you to live in your delusions for the time being, but you should thank me for saving your life!" He laughed, head tilted back, losing himself in his ego.

Lancer looked to Saber. So this was what Archer was like… "He doesn't seem to want to harm us, Saber…" He hung his head for a moment. "And I believe your Master has put my own in great danger."

Saber let her sword drop to her waist. "Of course, Lancer. There will be time to finish our duel eventually. Go to your Master." That was the only way to go about doing this. With Archer here, there would be no duel between them, thusly she could not stop Lancer from going to save his Master. Indeed, even if she said she placed some trust in Kiritsugu to duel with El-Melloi, she still wished to duel with Lancer.

Lancer disappeared, and Archer finally came down from his laughter. "I'm still waiting, Saber," he said, deathly serious.

Saber could not trust someone so arrogant. "I suppose you have my thanks, Archer, though Lancer and myself had the situation handled."

He floated down, still looking down at her with his height. "You, with your wounded arm? You're nothing but a delicate flower to be gazed upon." His smile returned once again. "You, and everything else in this world, are mine."

Saber glared at him. She had been 'saved' by the same kind of monster that had attacked her to begin with. "Do you want agreement from me, Archer? As Servants, my goal will still be the procurement of the Holy Grail. It should be yours as well."

"Why should I care to fight for something that is already mine? Just as-" He lifted a hand to touch Saber's cheek, but she recoiled immediately. It didn't seem to sour his mood. "Very well then, Saber. When all the other Servants have died like the mongrels they are, then I will ask you again." He simply walked off, dissolving into spirit form as he went. "We'll meet again, Saber."

* * *

If Kayneth had not underestimated Kiritsugu Emiya, he may have been able to win. Yet, as his Magic Circuits were cut, retied, cut again and bound again… Kayneth still could not see the mistake he made.

A magus using conventional weaponry was a farce, heretical to the ancient journey that all mage families had taken up. Killing Kiritsugu Emiya was a simple thing to Kayneth, just an annoying insect to be stamped out, yet the man evaded him constantly and even injured him. Kayneth was still assured in his victory, up until the point Kiritsugu utilized his Mystic Code.

Now, dying on the floor of the Einzbern's castle, Kayneth awaited death.

Unfortunately for Kayneth, his knight appeared to save his life. Kiritsugu fired a barrage from his Calico to reclaim the distance that he had lost on his approach to finish Kayneth, all of which Lancer deflected with ease. "The King of Knights and I will finish our duel," he told Kiritsugu, and departed with Kayneth on his shoulder.

Kiritsugu placed his weapons back into his coat and lit a cigarette in the ravaged hallway. He wondered briefly whether this had been his or Saber's fault. Neither were good explanations. With a Servant like Assassin, would this Holy Grail War be better for him? There was no answer for such a question, for he had not summoned Assassin. He had summoned Saber, the strongest Servant.

He moved to return to their command center.

* * *

Irisviel didn't understand why Kirei Kotomine had left. Hadn't he wanted to fight Kiritsugu? Wasn't that why Maiya and her had tried to stop him? But he hadn't, he had ran off in a hurry. Had his Servant warned him of something?

She knelt down beside Maiya, who was breathing heavily, still somehow conscious. Irisviel set toward healing her as soon as Kirei had left, pressing her hands against her injuries to heal them in the most direct fashion. "Madame... " Maiya coughed out. "I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you."

Irisviel simply pushed Maiya's hair out of her eyes. "No, you did well. Don't worry. Next time, we will win." She didn't know if they could, but for Maiya's sake she would say they would.

Saber appeared in a rush. "Irisviel! Maiya! Are you both all right?"

Irisviel looked up, smiling at her knight's return. "I am all right. Maiya will make a full recovery, I'm sure."

Saber was ready to jump back into action. "Your assailant, are they still within the forest?"

Irisviel shook her head. "No, he's already left the bounded field. He's far gone." She had sensed something else though as Kirei escaped. "Saber… was there another Servant with you?"

Saber's eyes were immediately filled with disgust. "Yes. Archer."

Irisviel's gaze intensified as well. "Archer… So that Servant has finally shown their face?"

Saber nodded firmly. "He is a disgusting man, just like Caster, but his interest is not with harming me." She casted aside her armour and Excalibur. "I will be sure to defeat him, but Maiya comes first."

"Saber…" Maiya said quietly, still in obvious pain. "I'm glad you survived."

Saber crouched down beside her, grasping Maiya's uninjured hand. "The sentiment is mutual, Maiya. I see my trust was well placed."

Maiya smiled through the pain. "Thank you, Saber."


	4. Chapter 4: Rin & Shinji's Big Adventure

That dream… that dream of Ireland. Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and his love for the maiden, Gráinne. He truly did love that maiden, even if she was the betrothed of Fionn mac Cumhaill, even if their love was born out of the curse of the Love Spot, even if she forced upon him the geas that would order him to run away with her… for she chose him. As a knight, he would honour the will of his leader's betrothed, for that was the man he was.

Kayneth could see clearly… They were both very foolish men. Even if, as a magus, he could never understand the way of knights and chivalry, that was something they both shared. "Lancer… Is my fiancée, is Sola-Ui, under the curse of the Love Spot?"

"I cannot say for certain, my Master… but it may be the case."

Kayneth was too tired for anger, but the path forward was clear. "We should expedite our partnership, Lancer. Win this Heaven's Feel for me."

"Understood, my Master…"

Kayneth awoke then. He was back within his new base of operations, the abandoned factory. The Einzbern's operative had defeated him and Lancer had saved him. There was a new clarity to his mind, like some dark fog had been lifted. His singular goal now was to return to that life he had before the Holy Grail War, with his loving fiancée.

"Oh, you're awake then?" As if on cue, she spoke.

"Sola-" He tried to reach out for her, but his arms and legs were bound. He couldn't feel his arms or legs either. "What?" He looked into Sola-Ui's eyes and found only a look of smug reassurance.

"Your Magic Circuits and nerves were almost completely destroyed by that magus. You'll likely never walk or use magic ever again."

If this had been before, Kayneth would have sobbed. He was the prodigy child of the El-Melloi family. Now… he only saw that he had lost the one thing that he had to protect Sola-Ui. All he had now was Lancer.

"As the one supplying mana to Lancer, he is still a Servant in the race, isn't he? All we must do is win the Holy Grail to restore your body…" Nothing on her face told Kayneth those were her true intentions. "So, Kayneth… Give me your Command Seals."

"No!" Now, the panic had arrived. If he gave her the Command Seals, who knew what could possibly happen to her. He needed to protect her.

She pouted. "Do you not trust me?

"I-" He hesitated, and Sola-Ui laughed quietly to herself. "I cannot give you these Command Seals, Sola. I will not." Kayneth could not tell her why. Under the effect of the Love Spot, she would be incapable of understanding.

Her playful demeanor washed away. "I was not asking." Without warning, she clamped down on the smallest finger of his right hand and snapped it as if it were a twig. That was a firm declaration of her intentions, and even if Kayneth couldn't feel it, he understood. Either he would hand them over, or she would take them by force.

He had failed her in this crucial instance.

* * *

So, Sola-Ui had stolen his Master's Command Seals…

This was not like the last time. Gráinne had come to him and offered the whole of her heart to him, but that was not what Sola-Ui wished. The world of mages was nothing like that of where he came from. Here, there would be utterly no chance of any happiness coming out of it.

So, thusly it was. Win the Holy Grail for his Master and free his fiancée from the curse of the Love Spot.

"I swear. As Kayneth's fiancée, I will offer the Holy Grail to him." Those were the words Sola gave to Lancer. It was a lie, he saw that clear as day, but as a knight he was beholden to protecting her for his Master. He had his vague hopes on the outcome of the Grail War, but that voice in the back of his mind told him otherwise. Kayneth had almost violated his honour when he tried to get him to fight Saber with Berserker. This man did not care for honour or the lives of the innocent… Yet, Lancer could do nothing about any of this. He was but a knight.

This would only end in tragedy...

* * *

"My Master has finally shown some results! As a Servant, isn't it only natural that I would repay my Master and bring you Caster's head?"

Well, that was what Rider had said but… All there was in Caster's supposed workshop were these endless tentacled demons from beyond the colours of time. Where was the bounded field? Or the traps of magecraft? Someone with an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm like Rider's Gordius Wheel / _Wheel of Heaven's Authority_ would easily be able to penetrate Caster's defences in an instant. In fact, Rider was, spraying the remains of Caster's demons everywhere. Waver simply focused on keeping up a shield to stop the endless tidal wave of demon blood from drowning him.

"Hey, boy…" Rider said. "This is a magus' workshop? Shouldn't there be some sort of resistance?"

Waver shook his head slowly. The gears had been turning in his head for awhile. "No, the Heroic Spirit that Caster is… He probably wasn't an actual or proper mage. Maybe he was famous for summoning demons..."

Rider scratched his chin, not even bothering to pay attention to all the monsters he was trampling. "Caster is for Heroic Spirits of Spells and Sorcery, isn't it? He's a Caster but he hasn't any spells?"

"No, no… Maybe… If the Heroic Spirit was some sort of cult leader that was famous enough, but he only tried to summon demons, then with enough embellishment that could result in a Servant like this one."

Rider looked impressed. "Oh! Well, if that is how it is, then you've done a good job yet again, boy!" He smacked Waver on the back, knocking him hard into the front of the chariot's sidecar as they slid into a larger room.

"Hey, you don't have to-!" Waver turned away from his immediate reaction and looked around into the darkness of this greater room. "Is Caster here?" Servants had the natural ability to detect other Servants without Presence Concealment, after all.

"No…" Rider said, suddenly starkly serious. "I think it's best if we left." He looked around into what Waver couldn't see and shook his head. "This is far too much."

"What? We just got here!" He jumped out of the rearcar and brought magical energy into his eyes to let him see in the dark. "I can deal with…"

Waver had steeled himself for the nature of the Holy Grail War. The nature of the Heaven's Feel was that of endless bloody murder for the Grail, but Caster and Ryuunosuke Uryuu did not have interest in the Grail itself. One of the simplest amusements for these two was the transformation of human suffering into artistic expression. Stripping the humanity from their victims and creating only amusement…

Waver simply doubled over and emptied his stomach.

Rider, in response, sighed. "That's why I said not to look."

"Shut up!" Waver said, wiping at his mouth with his sleeve. He had been trying to show initiative again but all he had done was show his weakness in front of his Servant. Waver lashed out blindly. "Treating me like I'm some sort of idiot… Dammit!"

Rider looked off into what remained of the room. "Now's not the time… idiot." He was quiet, and firm. "It's only natural to respond when seeing such things… Clearly, we need to defeat Caster as quickly as-" Rider spotted something. "Boy, look!"

"Now you're telling me to look…" Yet, Waver did look.

A small girl, clad in a white sundress, stumbled out of the darkness. She looked around, as if lost, then laid her eyes upon Waver and Rider. Instantly, her eyes went wide and she turned around to run, disappearing back into the void.

Waver stood up. "Someone survived!" He ran off immediately, trying to chase her down in the gloom.

"Wait- Boy-" Could this be a trap by Caster? No, Waver had said it couldn't be, and Rider had some faith in his Master. He brought the chariot along as he followed Waver deeper into Caster's lair.

"Hey! Wait up!" Waver yelled, rounding one of the concrete pillars in the reservoir. The girl crawled under one of the folding tables Ryuunosuke had brought in, far enough that Waver had to get on his knees to see her. She didn't look scared, just cautious of him. Waver really didn't have any experience with dealing with people younger than him…

"Hey, uh. Those guys are gone now, you're safe." She just shook her head at him. Waver didn't quite get it, so he just looked at her, scratching his head. She didn't look Japanese, but Waver wasn't that dumb, after all he was staying with two Canadians. Though, the girl had a darker complexion, was her family line from the Middle East maybe?

Something hit the table, bashing Waver's head against the hard plastic. He looked up, rubbing his head, expecting to see Rider ready to reprimand him. "Hey, what's the big idea-" It wasn't Rider.

Clad in the minimal clothing of her profession, standing up tall on the table, was a woman. Her hair was kept in a ponytail, a separated pair of bangs framing her face - except there was no face, only the white skull mask.

"Assassin…" Assassin was supposed to be dead, killed by what he thought to be Archer. That meant- No, it didn't matter what that meant because he was about to be killed! Certainly, he would die!

"What are you doing, Master of Rider," she said, her inflection an obvious threat against his life.

Waver was frozen by the immediate fear of meeting a Servant face to face. Fortunately, Rider rounded the corner. He assessed the danger immediately.

Rider's sword flew through the air, lightning sparking off the blade. Assassin watched the blade come, drawing a dagger out of the air. She snapped her arm forward, hitting Rider's sword in midair to deflect it into concrete pillar behind her. As if nothing had happened, she returned to standing there. "Stand down, Rider, my Master has not ordered me to attack you nor your Master."

Rider tensed, then slowly relaxed. "You showed yourself, Assassin. That's more than I expected of you! Though, I also expected you to be dead."

Assassin said nothing to this, looking down at Waver. "This girl is mine. You are free to do as you wish to Caster's den, but you may not touch her."

Waver had recovered enough now. "You're just going to kidnap a child? Wh- Well, you're just as bad as Caster then!"

Assassin turned her head to the darkness, silent. Neither side moved, seemingly having reached an impasse. Quietly, the girl crawled out from under the table and looked up at Assassin. "Asa...ko… A… sako… Asako…" Her voice was quiet, her words seeming to confuse herself as she spoke them.

Assassin looked down at the girl, a measure of intensity appearing on the skull mask. She just looked at her, the two of them staring at one another for some time. Waver broke the silence. "Hey! We're not done here!" He took a pointed step forward. "I'm not gonna let you just take her!"

Rider stepped off the chariot, moving to stand beside Waver. There was something about this, something he didn't like at all. Rider just couldn't put his finger on it.

Assassin looked back to Waver. "I see, Master of Rider. It is your curse to bear." She jumped back then, disappearing into the darkness as she reassumed her spiritual form.

That was it then, Assassin had disappeared back into the night. Rider was still weary, careful to watch their surroundings for any possible motion from Assassin. Waver was just relieved.

"Ah, geez… what's her deal…" He sighed, looking to the girl. "Hey, you're safe now! Come with us, we'll get you out of here."

She walked toward him, stepping carefully on the rough ground. She looked up into his eyes, her gaze passive yet assured. "No… we're not safe."

"What do you mean? That lady's gone and that scary guy that was doing bad stuff is-" Rider hit him over the head. "I mean, no one's here that'll hurt you now! You're safe." He looked up at Rider, rubbing his head.

"Learn some tact, boy…"

Waver looked back. "What's your name? You were saying Asakou, right? Is that your name?" He lowered himself a bit, putting himself on the same level as her.

"Ko," she said.

"Kou?"

She shook her head. "Ko."

"Oh, so your name is Ko…" He closed his eyes, nodding, not seeing her shake her head. "Okay, Rider, let's get out of here…"

Rider looked down at the girl, and she looked up at him. He reached out for her head suddenly, throwing Waver off balance. "Hey, wait!" His huge paws settled against her head as he patted it gently.

"What?" Rider said. "You really think I'd do something like that?" He sighed, disappointed as he ruffled the girl's hair. "What a Master I have…"

"Well- I- Agh!" He threw up his arms and clambered back into Rider's chariot. "Let's go! Unless someone else made it…"

Rider picked up Ko by the back of her dress, almost like a lion picking up their cub, and deposited her beside Waver. "There are others, but with the state they are in it would be a mercy to burn down the entirety of the reservoir with them…"

Waver looked downcast, upset that he hadn't arrived sooner. Maybe he could have saved someone else, maybe he could have done something. Ko laid her hand against his balled up fist, patting it gently. "It'll be all right," she said. There was no smile on her face, but her calmness helped him calm down as well.

Rider climbed back into position on the chariot, calling out to the divine bulls that carried it along. "All right! Children of Zeus, burn this wretched place to the ground! We'll find that Caster when he reels from losing this place..." And so Rider, with his Noble Phantasm, destroyed the twisted creations of Caster and his Master.

* * *

It had taken five minutes for Rin Tohsaka to escape her new house. With none of the elaborate devices of magi around this home, it was child's play for Rin to sneak out. With a compass to detect magical energy and two jewels filled with mana, she crept into the night. Her sole mission was to find her classmate, Kotone, which she was sure had disappeared because of the Fourth Heaven's Feel. There was a great fear in the back of her mind, but she knew she couldn't hesitate. Gathering up the whole of her pride and courage, she went on bravely toward her mission.

She stepped off the night train, once more back into the night. The alleyways of Fuyuki were cold, and her compass switched directions constantly, leading her through the streets like a twisted labyrinth. Rin saw a bright flashing light and crouched behind a dumpster as a police car gently slid past her. It was probably because of the kidnappings, and certainly she couldn't get caught by them. She still had a mission to fulfill.

Just as the police car passed by, she heard something crash behind her. Rin gasped, hid again, and waited. "Who put that broom there? Ah, come on… I don't deserve this…" That voice… Rin popped her head up. That seaweed-looking hair!

"Shinji Matou!?"

"Wuh-" He spun around, away from the broom he had been yelling at. "Tohsaka?" Shinji looked positively dumbfounded. "What are you doing out here!? Didn't you get sent away because of the Grail War?"

She jumped up, pointing right at him. "I thought you got sent away because of the Grail War! What are you doing out here?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, looking off and up in an arrogant pose. "I asked first, Tohsaka!"

Rin threw her arms up. "Well, I'm looking for my friend! You've heard about the kidnappings, haven't you!?"

"Of course I have! That's why I'm- I- uh." He bit his tongue. "Anyway, I'm here for a reason!" Shinji pointed at the compass dangling from her neck. "What's that thing anyway, Tohsaka? A gift from your great and mighty father?"

Rin hugged the compass tightly. "For your information, Matou, it is! It detects mana signatures, not that you would understand that sort of thing…"

Shinji bounded over, and Rin turned away instinctively as Shinji tried to look over her shoulder. "I'm not an idiot! I can understand that! You're looking for magic, right? Right? You think the kidnappings are magic, huh?"

"Well, obviously!" The compass was still moving around constantly, and she didn't have time to babysit Shinji. "I'm going now, so you can go home now, Matou!"

She started to walk off, looking down at the compass, but Shinji was right on her tail. "I'm coming with you, Tohsaka! You think you can track down a kidnapper on your own?"

Rin stopped suddenly and looked back at him, a deathly serious look in her eyes. "Yes," she said simply, and continued walking.

Shinji stood there, shocked for a moment. He hadn't expected a response like that. He had thought he was in control of the conversation but apparently not… Whatever! "Well, I'm still coming!"

Rin just waved her arm at him, exasperated. "Fine, just don't get in my way, got it?"

So, Shinji followed Rin through the dark streets and alleyways of Fuyuki. Neither really knew what they were looking for, but they knew they had to find it, whatever it was. The streets continued to be a labyrinth for some time and just when Rin was ready to take out some of her frustration on her new companion, the compass suddenly snapped ahead of them.

A man walked by, hand in hand with a young boy. He passed by in an instant, neither of them getting a good look. "Someone out with their child…?" Rin asked a loud, hurrying to follow along.

Shinji gasped, annoyed. "Tohsaka… That must have been the kidnapper…"

Rin looked around the corner, but whoever it was was already gone. "How can you tell?" She looked back at him, equally annoyed herself, watching him shiver in the cold Fuyuki air.

"I don't know! It was just a hunch, Tohsaka…" He looked around the corner himself. "Where'd he go?"

Rin covered her mouth with her hand, lost in thought. "If he's gathering more children… He must be planning something big! We don't have time to waste, come on, Matou!" She ran off, shoes hitting against the cobblestones hard as she sped away. Shinji ran along after her, easily becoming much more winded than her as they went along. The compass pulled them along once again, steadily beginning to spin with more intensity as they turned corners, went down long stretches and avoided those who might try to send them home. As they entered a new alleyway, the compass pointed forward sharply, almost breaking out of its casing as the compass itself shook with the sheer amount of mana. Rin made a fist with her hand, pumping herself up as she entered the alleyway. Shinji slunk along behind her.

There was a stairway, leading down into some sort of basement restaurant. Rin stepped ahead but Shinji suddenly stepped in front of her, slipping a switchblade out of his pocket. Rin opened her mouth to chastise him again, but she closed her mouth once she thought better of it. They were so close… They needed to focus.

Shinji closed his hand around the handle to the bar. His hand shook lightly, and he took a pained breath. Rin set her hand on his, and they looked at one another, nodding to reaffirm each other. Together, they opened the door and stepped inside.

It was dark inside, but what was visible was dilapidated. Dust coated most things in a thin coat of grey. Shinji stepped forward first, holding the switchblade in both of his hands as he crept forward.

An arm fell in front of him and he stepped back, gasping in surprise. Rin pushed him to the side and rushed past, crouching down beside the person that laid on the ground. "Hey, hey, are you all right?" She pulled the girl up, looking at her face. "Kotone…? Kotone!"

Shinji looked around, a look of steady relief replacing the worried expression on his face. There were other children here too, debilitated like Rin's friend. "Do you think… Tohsaka, do you think that-" He froze, seeing a shadow be cast over his own from the light above the doorway. Shinji turned around, eyes filled with fear as he looked up at the unfeeling face of Ryuunosuke Uryuu, hand in hand with two new kidnapped children.

Ryuunosuke looked down at Shinji and Rin as if regarding a fly. "Well now…" His mouth contorted into a sick grin. "Are you lost, you two?"

Shinji gripped the blade tightly in his hand and moved forward, aiming to push the knife right into Ryuunosuke's gut. The man simply threw the two boys he had held by the hands into Shinji, pushing him off balance and onto the floor. Rin stood up at once, fishing into her pockets for the two gems she had brought with her.

"Hey, kid…" Ryuunosuke said as he took a step toward Rin. "You wouldn't wanna make me angry, would you?" He reached out for her, trying to grab her by the front of the shirt. Before his hand made contact, he growled in pain, Shinji's switchblade suddenly embedded into his thigh.

"Tohsaka, now-!" he called out right as Ryuunosuke's palm met his face and pushed his head hard against the floor. Shinji looked dazed before his eyes went dead, his mind taken by the bracelet on Ryuunosuke's wrist.

Rin gritted her teeth, taking the biggest of her two gems into her palm. Before Ryuunosuke could stand back up, her shoe kicked into Shinji's knife, pulling it out of Ryuunosuke's thigh with a wet tear. The man bit his tongue, grabbing out for Rin, but that's what she wanted. She took a step back to dodge his wild grab, and then moved back in, grabbing his wrist with her palm. Her mind went blank for an instant, but her magic resistance powered through. She ripped all the mana she could from the gem in her hand and powered it into the bracelet, smashing it with the chaotic influx she pulled into it.

The pieces flew everywhere, producing a bright light and a sizable kinetic force. Ryuunosuke was knocked to the floor, dazed, but Rin had been ready for it. Left standing, she watched as the children around her regained consciousness, waking up from their daze with tears pooling in their eyes. Speedily, she picked up Kotone and Shinji and pushed them toward the door. "Come on! We have to get out of here!" she yelled to everyone. They all ran, leaving Ryuunosuke in the dust. Shinji made sure to pick up the switchblade.

In the cold air, Rin flagged down a police car and then escaped, pulling Shinji along with her back into the alleyways of Fuyuki. They ran, their mission finally accomplished. Rin pumped her fist into the air. She had saved Kotone! Hopefully Kotone wouldn't remember it was her, that would be a lot to explain.

Rin sighed. "We did it…" she said, letting the tension drop from her shoulders. "I hesitate to say it, Matou, but we make a good team."

Shinji crossed his arms. "That was all me! If I hadn't been…" Shinji stopped, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the floor. "Yeah, I… I guess." He sighed.

Rin shook her head at him. He couldn't help himself, could he… "Anyway, Matou, what were you gonna say in there? 'Do you think that-' you said, right?"

Shinji looked away. "I was just here for the same reason as you, Tohsaka. Someone had to stop the kidnapper and I wasn't going to just-" Rin's compass bursted with magical energy, spinning madly. Something dropped behind her.

A wet mess of reaching tentacles, moving endlessly. Rin and Shinji both looked at it. Endless teeth ran down each of the arms, culminating in a gaping maw like a whirling garbage disposal. This was far more than either of them could handle, and they stood there frozen in fear. A demon, an actual demon. That was more than either could comprehend. A buzzing rang in both their ears, and they both feared death. It was coming toward them. This was it.

A current of grey passed by both of them, swallowing that creature up in an torrent of gnawing insects. It screamed out, almost as if that voice was human, almost like the demon was suffering. Rin lost consciousness.

Shinji reached out instinctively to catch her as a new shadow covered them, caught between them and the moon. He looked up, a face filled with both torture and gentleness looking down at him. "Uncle Kariya…" Shinji was scared, so utterly scared, but he couldn't run. It was just a fact, he couldn't.

He raised a hand in greeting and Shinji caught the flash of those red marks on the back. "Hey, Shinji…" He smiled, but there was an obvious pain there. "Can you carry Rin?"

Shinji panicked, pulling at Rin's weight. He wasn't a particularly strong boy, so he wasn't confident in his ability to do so. He shook his head. "N-no, I can't."

Kariya nodded. "Berserker…" A figure of pure shadow appeared out of the darkness, pulling Rin from Shinji's fingers. The red visor of the Heroic Spirit of Madness looked at Shinji. Shinji cowered.

"Ah," Kariya said, grasping at his body as the pain of materializing Berserker hurt him. "Sorry, Shinji… That's my Servant, Berserker… He's not so bad, once you get to know him." He shuffled to the side, his leg dragging. "Come on, we should go."

Shinji stayed close to Kariya, watching Berserker as they began to leave. "So that's what you did… You joined the Grail War."

"How do you know about the Grail War?" Kariya asked. "And aren't you supposed to be studying…?"

"Well, my father was drinking and he said something…" Byakuya Matou had let something slip as he took Shinji several towns over. "I got away from him…"

"Byakuya…" Kariya growled under his breath and Shinji paused. His uncle had to be in such immense pain… but Kariya put his mask back on. "We gotta bring Rin back to her mother, and then we'll get you back home."

The three of them walked back to the park, Kariya dragging himself along, Shinji staying away from Berserker, and Berserker using immense force with each step in his black armour. A Servant… Shinji knew this person, whoever he was, was of some sort of extreme power. While he cradled Rin protectively, he was a massive man in a dark shroud with a red visor. That was immensely scary…

The park was equally dark, but had several lamp poles set around. Under a canopy, Berserker laid Rin down on a bench and then dematerialized. Shinji felt safer already with Berserker gone. "Will she be all right?"

"Yeah," Kariya said, setting a hand on Shinji's shoulder to lead him away. "Rin's a strong girl, just like Sakura. Soon, this whole thing will be over, and everything can go back to normal." He lightly pushed Shinji toward the bushes at the edge of the park. "Just hide here for a bit, all right? I have to talk to Rin's mother for a bit."

Shinji did as he was told and hid himself away. The ground was slightly wet, latching onto his pants and hands, but he swallowed his frustrations and waited. Kariya stood close to one of the lamp poles in the park. His back looked tense, but Shinji couldn't see why. He was just talking to Aoi Tohsaka, Rin's mother, right?

Shinji waited there, watching Kariya. Shinji grew bored quickly, scratching at the dirt with his switchblade, but Kariya never moved. He just stood there, waiting.

"Rin!" came the voice. It was an unfamiliar voice, but Shinji knew who it was. Kariya seemed to tense even more as Aoi appeared in the park, collapsing beside the unconscious Rin.

Kariya stepped out into the light. "Rin is fine, she's just asleep…"

Aoi turned toward him, her face immediately filled with fear. "Kariya… What's going on here…?" Kariya flung off the hood that covered his disfigurement and Aoi gasped. "Your… your face…"

"This is the magic of the Matou family… but for Sakura I took up this curse. If I give Zouken the Grail, he'll release her. He gave me his word." His voice shook slightly, eager to get the words out to Aoi. "My Servant is the strongest, so-"

"Kariya!" she snapped, her eyes filled with confusion, anger and sorrow. "You want to kill Tokiomi? You're going to kill my husband and die yourself?"

"No- I-" Kariya panicked. "That's not what I meant!"

Shinji watched on, confused to what was happening. He turned his head suddenly behind himself as the bushes rustled. Crouched behind him was a woman, clad in a dark suit, holding a black pistol in her hand. Shinji's eyes grew wide, but she pressed a finger to her lips to quiet him. He clasped a hand against his own mouth.

Aoi continued. "What do you mean then, Kariya? Why would you think I would want you to join this Grail War and fight Tokiomi? What would you think would happen?" She held Rin close to her. "You don't understand… Why would you want to cause me suffering like that…"

Kariya grasped at his face, his breathing heavy. "No- I wouldn't!" His flesh writhed as the Crest Worms became agitated and he doubled over, leaning against the pole for support. "No!" he screamed out and then he ran, stumbling.

Shinji heard all this, but he watched the woman with the gun. She looked as Aoi clutched her child and nodded once to herself. Slipping away her pistol, she held out her hand to Shinji. "Knife." He collapsed the blade and crammed it into her hand before she slipped it into a pocket. Grabbing Shinji by the shoulder, she hauled him away from the scene in the park and back into the residential streets of Fuyuki.

It didn't take that long for the woman to find Kariya. He had crawled up into a ball, huddling in the shadow of a vending machine between the houses of Miyama Town. The woman pushed Shinji forward toward Kariya and he walked along toward him, fearful of the woman. "Kariya Matou," she said.

He looked up quickly. "Y-you!" Weakly, he reached out for Shinji but recoiled in pain. "Don't hurt him…" he breathed out, watching with his good eye.

She said nothing and walked up to the vending machine. "Do you like milk tea?" she asked Shinji, slipping a coin into the machine.

"Y-yeah, I guess…" A plastic bottle was thrown into his hands and the woman leaned against the vending machine.

"Are you still going to protect Sakura, Kariya?" she asked him, looking off toward the black sky.

"Of course…" To Kariya, it wasn't something he needed to consider, but when Aoi said those words to him… For what reason was he fighting now? For Aoi? For Sakura? For… himself? He had never thought that he was doing these things for himself, he had joined the battle for others.

"Why are you huddled in a corner then? How is there time to feel sorry for yourself when you need to fight?" She pushed off the vending machine and stepped in front of him. "We both must fight."

His gaze met hers. "You…"

"Maiya." She offered him her hand and he gripped it tightly as she helped him stand once more.

"Maiya…" he said the name quietly. Frankly, he hadn't even considered a frightening woman like her even had a name, but maybe she wasn't the monster he had thought she was… "Thank you, again."

Maiya shook her head at Kariya. "Don't thank me…" She looked at Shinji. "You need to take him home, correct? Come with me..." Maiya began to walk off.

Kariya looked at Shinji, who was chugging down the bottle. "Let's go, Shinji."

Shinji coughed, wiped at his mouth, and then hurried along after the two.

* * *

In Shinto, the night was now much darker, but the light from the bus depot was still on. Kariya had brought out his wallet, looking for some money, but Maiya had taken a sizable bill from her pocket and handed it to Shinji before Kariya was able to give him anything. "This is a battlefield," Maiya told Shinji. "Children should stay far away." She tossed him back his knife and retreated back to the car, waiting for Kariya.

Shinji and Kariya looked at each other, likely for the last time. With an unsteadiness since the last time they had met, Kariya once more got down onto one knee to rest on Shinji's level. Shinji couldn't help but feel afraid and slightly disgusted at what Kariya looked like now, but he could never tell his uncle that. "You can keep fighting, right, Uncle Kariya?"

Kariya ruffled his hair. "Of course. I'll keep fighting for Sakura. I know I still have your support, after all." He let his hand drop, a slightly serious look on his face. "What were you doing all the way out here anyway?'

Shinji looked down at his feet and then back up into Kariya's good eye. "I was worried. Those kidnappings… What if Sakura got caught up in that? If you were fighting in the Grail War, then you would need to focus on that, right?"

Kariya nodded once. "Thank you, Shinji…" He couldn't tell the boy that there was no way she would have been caught up in that. Zouken was still torturing Sakura… and Kariya still had to fight to stop that. "I'll make sure to watch out carefully now. You won't have to worry any longer." He gave Shinji a hug with his good arm, trying to give the boy some consolation.

"Okay, Uncle Kariya… I know you'll win." He returned his uncle's hug. "You said it yourself, your Servant is the strongest."

"Yeah," Kariya smiled. "He really is." He pulled away from Shinji. "Did you take the bus here? Did you buy a weeklong pass?"

Shinji hit himself in the forehead. "I knew I forgot to do something…" He ran off, off to talk to the late night bus depot worker to get on a bus. "Win the War, Uncle Kariya! I-I believe in you!"

Kariya watched Shinji depart, waiting until he was safely inside the building before he turned back and returned to Maiya. She watched him, opening up the car door for him, but he held up a hand. "No, it's… it's fine."

She closed the door quietly and returned to leaning against the hood. "Shinji's a good kid," she said, her eyes a bit softer than before.

"Yeah… I'm surprised. I don't remember him being like this before." He clutched his right arm with his left, nodding to himself. It was good that Shinji had shown up. That was what he needed to keep up his courage. Even if Aoi didn't see the reasoning, Kariya would fight for Sakura and Rin. "Which side are you fighting for anyway…? Lancer's? Saber's?"

Maiya shook her head. "I can't tell you that. One day, we might meet on the battlefield. Both of us will have to give it our all." She walked around to the driver's side door, opening it up for herself.

"All right," he said with a bit of a frown. "I'll fight against you with all of my strength when that time comes."

Maiya smiled gently. "Good. Keep fighting, Kariya." She stepped back into her car and sped off into the night, leaving Kariya all by himself once again.


	5. Chapter 5: A Mad Feast of Kings

The small girl, Ko, was left with the Mackenzies for her own safety as Rider sped off once more into the night with Waver underneath his arm like an expensive handbag. Breaking into Copenhagen was easy, stealing the wine barrel even easier.

On the way to the Einzbern's forest, Rider picked up the trail of a Servant and seemed to falter for a moment. "What is it?" Waver asked before the chariot dipped back down to the ground in a sudden rush. They landed right in front of a man in hideous leopard print pants and an otherwise inoffensive white shirt. "Oi…" Rider said. "A Servant out and about like yourself… this must be fate!"

Archer gave Rider one look over and erupted into uproarious laughter. "Are you the other one going about calling yourself 'king'?" He looked at Rider's t-shirt. "'King of Conquerors'? Was your strategy to kill me with laughter?" He doubled over, nearly choking himself with his giggles.

Rider seemed only a bit upset. Waver quietly cowered behind him. "I guess it was fate in a different way then. No matter, if you also lay claim to the title of king then I will invite you as well to my banquet with the King of Knights! It's only proper we have a battle of alcohol before this war is through."

Archer wiped the tears from his eyes. "Very well then! I'll grace your banquet with my presence." Rider was already off then, returning to his collision course with the Einzbern forest. "I hope you're not serving swill…" Gilgamesh mumbled.

* * *

The last thing Irisviel had said to Kiritsugu consisted of the few clues she possessed of Archer's identity. It was far from anything concrete, as history and myth were filled with arrogant men, but Kiritsugu took it with a nod and departed back toward Fuyuki proper. Irisviel knew he was dedicated to his mission, but he was so distant now. Even if it was nothing she herself had done, there was guilt in her heart. She was the vessel in which the Lesser Grail would come forth from. As long as she stayed, her husband would be like this.

But they could not back down from this battle. For the future of humanity, and the family that would descend from Irisviel von Einzbern and Kiritsugu Emiya, they had to take up this challenge. Even if Kiritsugu's words had been so tempting… The words 'Bring Illya back' were seared into her mind as a constant reminder. Her daughter, her beautiful daughter… She fought back the initial wave of grief. They just had to win for her.

The door to the parlour in the Einzbern castle opened and Saber stepped inside, once more clad in her fine suit. She brought a tray in with tea, setting it on the table in front of Irisviel. "Princess," Saber said, a hollow smile on her lips. "I thought you'd like something like this. That battle was stressful, after all."

Saber did not have to smile for her sake, Irisviel thought. She would much rather Saber smile for the times that smiles came naturally, but Irisviel was a hypocrite in that regard, smiling too. "Thank you, Saber. I'm glad Maiya recovered so quickly." Saber began to pour her a cup, setting the delicate china in front of her.

"I'm glad as well," Saber said, setting the teapot back onto the tray. "Your healing magic must be especially potent to get Maiya back onto her feet so quickly." Irisviel felt guilty once again at this. While she was plenty adept in healing magecraft, what she had done was replace the broken bones in Maiya's body with her own. Avalon, implanted in her body by Kiritsugu, regenerated the ribs and forearm bones she had given to Maiya. With this, she would be protected by Saber in another way.

"Yes, I'm glad as well. A fourth person on our side… I'm glad Kiritsugu found her." Wherever Kiritsugu had found her, she was glad she was with them. That side of the world of magi… beyond even the normal secrecy of the Clocktower, Atlas and the Wandering Sea, she knew nothing of it.

"Yes… 'found her.'" Saber took a seat across from Irisviel. Saber didn't know if Irisviel knew of Kiritsugu and Maiya's relationship, so the question of whether or not to broach such a topic had no clear answer.

"Oh," Irisviel said after taking a sip. "You were talking with Maiya, weren't you? Did she say anything… anything about me?"

Perhaps that decided it for her then. "The slightest bit, yes. She seemed to know Illyasviel to some degree."

Irisviel seemed immediately intrigued. "She knew… Illya? Personally? How could that be?"

"She said Kiritsugu was like her father… I suppose he never told you." Saber watched Irisviel closely, but she only nodded in response. "Is… is that not a surprise to you, Irisviel? It was for me."

Irisviel smiled as if she understood something Saber couldn't. "Kiritsugu must have thought there was no time for a proper introduction, and if she is his daughter… then she is my daughter as well."

"You… you really have a lot of love in your heart." Saber couldn't accept someone in such a way. Her hand covered the side of her face as her thoughts went elsewhere. The knight that she had pierced with Rhongomyniad at Camlann, Mordred...

Irisviel set her teacup down and reached out for Saber's hand, setting calm fingers against her glove. "Saber…? Are you all right? I may not be your true Master, but I will still support you." To Saber, she looked so kind. The white-haired princess of the Einzberns was here to support her, completely and utterly. Saber was her knight, not her husband.

She set her hand away from her face, staring down at it. There was something in her chest, a desire that she had not felt before. As king, there was no time for such things and she shut her heart to it, but now she was the Servant Saber. Were these the feelings that Lancelot had held in his own heart? Even if she should not, that she still wished to? She gripped Irisviel's hand tightly in hers, staring into her confused eyes. "Irisviel," Saber said and stood. "I said that I was your sword, did I not?"

"Yes…?" Irisviel looked up at Saber, her head tilted slightly to the side. "You are my knight, of course."

That night on the beach, Irisviel had looked like- No, she was a princess. "I wish to protect you with my life." She took Irisviel's hand in both of hers. "It is a feeling I cannot use words to describe, but I know it to be true with the very core of my being."

Understanding seemed to enter Irisviel's eyes, but Saber couldn't tell if it was a trick of the light or not. "Saber, are you saying that-"

"Yes! Irisviel, I have truly-"

A knock came to the door of the parlour with Saber breaking away immediately. "Madame Irisviel, Saber, I've returned." Maiya was back and Saber took the time to clear her mind. Her will had crumbled so easily, and for what…

Irisviel stood as if nothing had happened and went to open the door for Maiya. "Welcome back, did you finish what you set out for?"

"Yes." Maiya's nod was curt. "I have a question for you, Madame. Your healing magic-"

Irisviel grabbed at her chest without warning and collapsed to her knees. Both Saber and Maiya hurried to her side. "Irisviel!" "Madame!"

"The bounded field… Someone's charging through it with a powerful Noble Phantasm…"

Saber stepped away. "Rider… He must have finally decided to face me. Even with my left arm still injured, I will step out to face him." Maiya held Irisviel in her arms, but nodded firmly. "Maiya, stay by Irisviel's side. Beside me, you both will be the safest."

"Understood, Saber." Maiya gripped her Calico with one hand and pulled the winded Irisviel with the other, running along with Saber toward the front entrance.

They pulled up to the upper end of the main entrance's stairway and saw the grand doors once again blown to pieces. Saber pulled out Excalibur, brandishing it to look upon that chariot she thought would surely be there but there was more than just the chariot.

Sure, there was Rider, standing in the chariot with his Master cowering behind him. He had on his King of Conquerors' t-shirt, with a massive wine casket over his shoulder, but there was also another there.

"Saber… So, you lay claim to the title of King of Knights?" Archer said as he looked around the castle. "Did your Master build this all for you? This castle is not fit for the common rabble, let alone a king."

Irisviel held her breath as Saber stepped forward to confront both Servants. "Archer, Rider, what are you doing here? Did we not all come forth to challenge each other for the Holy Grail?"

Rider hauled himself, his Master, and the wine casket out of the chariot and began to climb the steps. "We're all kings here, so it is only fit that we all fight in a manner of kings! In such a battle, alcohol is the only suitable weapon." He looked to Maiya, who was still holding up the Calico. "Put that down, would you? You're scaring the boy."

Saber gave Maiya a glance and she let the submachine gun fall to her hip. "Very well, Rider. If you wish for a battle between kings, I will answer your challenge. Irisviel, where is the best place for such a battle?"

Irisviel pointed toward the inner courtyard. "There's a nice garden in-"

Rider hurried along, with a slowly hovering Archer following beside him. "A garden! That is suitable enough! Come, King of Knights, our banquet awaits!"

In the garden, Saber, Rider and Archer sat in a triangle with the casket in the center. Waver, Irisviel and Maiya stood to the side, watching intently. Neither Waver nor Maiya understood this sort of battle, but Irisviel saw straight through it. For kings, this only made sense to be how they would fight. For them, their greatest battle was that of ideals, not of weapons. If a leader could not convince anyone to believe in their ideals, then they were not a leader. Such things were as simple as that.

Rider, having proposed the battle, was given the honour of beginning it. "So, this Holy Grail is only obtainable by those who are worthy and the decider of our worthiness is the battle between Servants." He smashed the lid of the wine casket and downed a scoop of the rice wine. "As the three kings of this war, we should decide who shall be the king of the Holy Grail."

Archer scoffed. "As the two of you seem incapable of recognizing the King of Heroes by my mere presence as you should, I'll save you from further embarrassment by declaring it."

Saber looked to be in understanding. "The King of Heroes… So, you are humanity's oldest king, Gilgamesh. It's no wonder that the Holy Grail would call to someone like you." She didn't bother saying how much she immediately despised him from their first encounter.

"King of Heroes, huh?" Rider said quietly. "Well, you'll fight with us either way, won't you?"

"Of course!" Archer laughed. "Now show me what you've chosen for this battle." He gripped the wine ladle from Rider's hands and drank down the offer. He coughed and looked immediately disgusted. "You chose this? This cheap wine is fit for a battle between heroes?"

"Really? I brought it from the market here." Bought… stole… pedantics.

"You know nothing of fine wine." He tossed the ladle back to Rider and drew out a decanter from the shimmering gates, as well as three goblets. All of them were made of gold and outlined in numerous gems. It befitted his position as the oldest king, but Saber could not help but see it all as gaudy until she finally tasted the wine.

"This is delicious…" Saber whispered. It was beyond anything she had ever tasted before, a flavour lifted straight out of myth itself. "This is wine from the Age of Gods then?"

"Of course, only the best is allowed a place in my treasury, whether that is wine or weapon," he sneered. "With this, has my grade as king been satisfactorily established? What else is there to establish kingship than pure ownership?"

"Exactly!" Rider said in a sudden outburst. "The extent of what you build with your kingship is the only true measurement of your worth."

Saber gasped as if she was speaking to two utter fools. "What you own? That is it? Do you not care for loyalty, duty, or justice? All you've done is brag about your wealth."

Archer set a hand under his chin, pushing in with ample arrogance. "Loyalty and duty are demanded of the people from their mere existence. As for justice, King of Knights, that is whatever the king decides."

"What?" Her exasperation grew to immediate anger. "If I decide that the victims of an obvious unlawful murderer are in the wrong, then that is justice? There is no argument to be made that a wrong decision is just."

"Really?" Archer didn't seem disturbed in the slightest. "Rule comes from divine right, so how can any decision be wrong? To be ordained by the gods to be king makes it that every decision is just, no matter what the decision is. Justice is therefore, as I said, what the king decides."

Saber held her hands in tight fists, biting her tongue as she gathered her thoughts. Rider took the opportunity to step in. "It seems goldie and I are in agreement. That is the nature of kingship, though I wouldn't be so concrete with 'justice'. Indeed, that is why my wish for the Holy Grail is to be made human once more."

"For what reason could you want that, Rider?" Saber asked. She was still on edge, but she was genuinely curious. Saber would not need a body in the present day even if she was a regular Servant like the two of them, so why would Rider?

"As the King of Conquerors, it's only natural, isn't it? With a body of flesh and bone, then I can continue my conquest of the world. I'll be sure to plunder your treasury on the way, King of Heroes." He smirked and Archer only smiled back.

"We've decided on a course of action then. I will kill you by my own hand. That is my way: the only way. You're nothing but a thief, perhaps a king of thieves, but a thief nonetheless, Rider."

A laugh. "I'll await such a battle then!" With that decided among the two of them, that left Saber. "What's your wish then, King of Knights?"

These two were mere tyrants, caring nothing for good or evil, only pure desire. Saber held her pride up and spoke. "For a king of knights, as Artoria Pendragon, there is nothing but my pride, my people, my homeland. I will change England's fate, I will save all of my people."

* * *

Tokiomi was upset that Gilgamesh had given up his identity so simply, but he only made some side comments about his annoyance. Kirei was watching attentively through Assassin's eyes, making note of the wishes of the Servants. He held no judgement, these were Servants after all.

"The power differential between Archer and Rider…" Tokiomi began. "Do you think Rider stands a chance?"

"If Rider possesses a Noble Phantasm beyond his Gordius Wheel, then there might be cause to worry." Caster was wounded by Rider destroying his workshop and Berserker was a wildcard liable to destroy himself or kill his Master in the process through mana consumption, so they were not concerning. Lancer had lost his original Master and Saber was still wounded by the curse, so all that remained was Rider.

"So, Kirei… We should use all of Assassin's strength to test Rider."

Kirei hesitated. Tokiomi had regarded Assassin as a tool and so Kirei should have as well, but Assassin had not acted as a simple tool. They knew of Caren, they knew of Claudia and no judgement had been offered to him. Could he just send them to their death? He hadn't thought of explicitly going against Tokiomi's wishes before this.

Seeking out Kiritsugu Emiya was simply something he did not tell Tokiomi about, but that did not go against Tokiomi's goals of winning the Grail. If he refused to send out Assassin, that was an immediate declaration of war against Tokiomi. He could not do that. His father still believed in Tokiomi's plan.

Kirei turned away from Tokiomi. "Assassin." The speaker, Asako, appeared before him immediately. "We have a problem. We must test Rider's power and force him to reveal the extent of his Noble Phantasms."

Assassin looked up from her bow. "I understand… Gordius Wheel is an anti-army Noble Phantasm, so we are already at a massive disadvantage, but the castle gives us a means of striking without fear."

Kirei stared at that white mask. "How many will it take to bait Rider into using a different Noble Phantasm?"

"At least half of our number. Our remaining body resides at ninety-nine. It will vastly lower the efficacy of our information network, but by that point it is clear Saber and Rider will be aware of our presence."

Kirei held a hand to his mouth in thought. If Tokiomi suspected Assassin still existed after this, it would jeopardize everything. The risk was massive. "Can you do it, Assassin?" That was the only question he could pose to them.

Assassin had no hesitation. "We can. We will make it so. Grant us a Command Seal for the transportation of the necessary fighters."

Kirei raised his hand. "By the power of the Holy Grail, and these Command Seals granted to me, I order you, Assassin. Force Rider to reveal his Noble Phantasms." He said these words for Tokiomi, keeping the façade up for him, but to Assassin he had one last thing to say. "Asako, stay by my side."

"I will, Master, and I thank you."

Kirei said nothing else as he returned to gazing through the eyes of Assassin. Kirei had to see this through to the very end.

* * *

"Hey, King of Knights… Did I hear you wrong? You want to save your people? What do you want to save them from?"

"During my reign, a horrific rebellion lead to inescapable tragedy. If the Holy Grail is omnipotent, then it will be able to save my nation from that fate. For my people, I cannot forgive myself unless they are saved!"

Archer laughed in her face, grabbing at his stomach. "What kind of king are you, Saber? Having regrets… You'd make a better jester than a king!"

"Why do you laugh? I sacrificed everything for my country! Are you to say a king's country should serve the king instead?" She was hot in the face with rage. Laughing at her wishes, her hopes… What kind of man was the King of Heroes? "The country does not live for the king!"

"You couldn't be more wrong," Rider said with a complete firmness. "The country lives solely for the king, for the king takes responsibility for the entire country. If you aren't content, you were weak. Call me a tyrant if you wish, but a weak king is worse than a tyrant. A tyrant can inspire but weakness brings nothing but weakness in return."

"All the suffering that resulted as your realm tore itself apart… You wouldn't wish to undo that?"

"Why would I? To take away their suffering would be to invalidate their lives, and I would not dare insult them with that. If I caused that suffering, then so be it! I will grieve for them now, but I would not take that all away!"

"Then I will call you a tyrant, Rider. I did not care for my desires, only for the needs of my people. To give them justice, a proper governance, a lawful life - I gave up my very humanity, casted aside a normal life, for all of my subjects. You could never understand these ideals, all you care is for yourself!"

"Exactly! If I desire the most out of all, then everyone around me would be inspired! A saint only makes the people complacent, but a man filled to the brim with desire will benefit the people far more. All of this would be imprinted upon their hearts for eternity!"

Saber was so utterly angry. "So you care nothing for justice."

"Yes, and I will go one step further than the King of Heroes. A king has no need for justice. Justice only enables remorse, and a king with remorse is a weak one."

That was the way of the two kings. Their ideals were too far apart. Saber fought for peace, while Rider fanned the flames of eternal conquest and war.

Rider smiled, he believed he had won. "King of Knights, what did your ideals bring you at the end of it all?"

Camlann. That fiery hill stained with blood, layered with bodies. Near all of her friends, her family and her subjects died there. That was the prophecy, but she still had taken up the sword. Her destiny was in failure but still, she fought for peace. Artoria hoped for a miracle, for fate to be overturned.

Rider's words twisted her thoughts, planting that seed of doubt in her mind. She could never rule as a tyrant, but if someone else - if someone like Rider were the king, - could they have averted that tragic fate and supplanted it with something less tragic? Should the woman known as Artoria have become the King of Knights?

Archer had been watching her intently the entire time and only now did Saber notice it. "Why do you stare so, Archer?"

He smiled a sick smile. "Your annoyed face is lovely. It's like the look of those virgins who scattered flower petals upon my bed."

Saber's anger boiled over. She threw the ornate goblet to the floor and drew Excalibur. "You bastard!"

The two other kings didn't seem even slightly disturbed by her actions, instead they looked out toward the sudden presence in the courtyard. A figure in a white mask appeared behind Waver, scaring him toward Rider's side. "Assassin!"

More and more of them appeared in the moonlight, all focused toward those kings in the center. They were of all types of people: men, women, between and beyond that apparent binary, children, the elderly. They stood like an army against the three, gathering to attack.

Archer had his turn to be angry. Tokiomi should have not interrupted a talk between kings.

Maiya pulled Irisviel between her and Saber. Here, she was nothing more than a body shield, but she would serve even that purpose to protect Illya's mother. Saber drew back to protect Irisviel as well and the two enclosed her with their bodies.

Rider stood up, lifting up the rice wine ladle. "Very well! The words of kings are for all to hear, so come forth and join us in deciding who it is that will claim the Holy Grail!" Rider couldn't help but say something he could build off of later. "This wine is as your blood, so come forth!"

Assassin knew who should lay claim to the Grail, and it was them and their Master. Even if he wished not for the Grail, it was still for them to claim. So, they provoked Rider, breaking the ladle with a throwing knife and a sharp crack, spilling wine all over the King of Conqueror's prized t-shirt. They laughed, beckoning him to action.

"Very well. As this wine is your blood, and you've decided to spill it, then you've decided your fates." To prove to Saber and Archer the extent of his kingship, he would call forth his Reality Marble. The sands were brought out, that endless desert beginning to take precedent over the Einzbern's garden. To punctuate his point, he asked them. "The last question then, Archer, Saber. Must a king be lonesome?"

Archer just sniggered to himself. His silence was his answer.

Saber pushed against those storming sands, covering her eyes. "A king must be lonesome! That is their duty!"

"No, you still do not understand! Tonight, I shall show you both the true meaning of kingship!" The Reality Marble took over the space of the Einzbern's inner courtyard and supplanted it with the endless sand dunes of Ionioi Hetairoi / _Army of the King_. Rider stood fearless against Assassin, but Assassin stood without fear as well.

"Replacing the outside world with the internal," Irisviel said. "A Reality Marble…"

Saber saw them appear on the horizon. A wave of soldiers, countless classless Servants. These souls were the crystallization of Rider's desires, all these people who believed in him even in death. Saber possessed nothing that represented her leadership, her companionship, or her charisma like this. Those thoughts brought her down, tearing her to her knees. Excalibur represented her solitary watch over England and Camelot. Ionioi Hetairoi was just the opposite. The army of the King of Conquerors, Eternal Companions.

"The king is never lonesome, for his wishes are our own! His desires are our own!" they sang out.

Saber gripped her head in her hands. Had she never inspired her subjects like this? Had her knights never looked upon her and believed in her ideals like she did? Had she just been a tyrant who pushed her own beliefs upon the people?

Her kingship… Was it all for naught?

Rider climbed upon his horse, Bucephalus, where even it had materialized as a Heroic Spirit. "All right, Assassin, face my peerless army." He lifted his sword. "Trample them!"

Rider's army charged forth, roaring in response to his command, yet Assassin stood strong. They were not a force that fought head to head like most other Servants, but still they fought. Makul, Gozul, Deka… They all stood strong against Rider's army, felling those they could, but it was inevitable that they would be defeated. All that remained when the peerless army passed over it was blood and death. The Ionioi Hetairoi cheered and soon the Reality Marble faded away, letting the Einzbern courtyard replace it.

Rider leaned back, taking another sip of Gilgamesh's wine as if nothing had happened. "They put up a fight, but that was rather disappointing."

Archer seemed slightly impressed, but only slightly. "Even if they were mere mongrels, that was quite an effort you expended. You really are something I will need to dispense with."

"Of course. We will have our battle eventually." He stood up once more, picking up Waver as he called forth the Gordius Wheel.

Saber stepped forward. "I have not finished yet, Rider!" Even through all of that which troubled her mind, how could she just let him leave?

"You stay quiet, Saber. I cannot recognize someone who has blinded themselves so thoroughly as a king . If you wake from your dream one day, perhaps then I might give you back your title." He rode off without leaving Saber another chance to speak.

Saber felt instantly wronged. This king, that used violence as a tool for his own desires, still had all of those men who believed in his ideals. What argument could she muster against the evidence right in front of her?

"Ignore that king of mongrels, Saber," Archer said, watching her suffer. "Keep believing in your own poisonous ideas, crush yourself under the weight of your beliefs. I enjoy watching you struggle." Saber stared at him as if to will him to never speak again, but he only continued. A king did not bow to another king. "If you amuse me enough, perhaps I might reward you with more tokens of my affection." He laughed down at her once more and disappeared once more into the night. Saber was only left with hollowness in her heart.

"Saber…" Irisviel said, trying to reach that woman on that faraway hill.

"A knight once said that King Arthur could not understand the hearts of others. Perhaps that was the sentiment of the entirety of the Round Table."

"Saber, you are the king of ideals. Excalibur is proof of this."

"Yes… all I am is these ideals. It didn't matter if the people thought if I was arrogant or lonesome, all I cared for was the battle and my governance." She looked up into the night sky, sadness in her eyes. "I did not crave understanding."

Irisviel could not bear to see these feelings on the King of Knights. She would steel herself for Saber. "Even if fate cannot be avoided, Saber, no one has said that it is set in stone." It was almost a contradiction, but the meaning was clear. "Fate is not predestined. Luck, happenstance, and what we cannot expect decide our ultimate destinies. The destruction of your homeland has not yet been decided, so you should strive for the Holy Grail." Even if the war for the Holy Grail was a lie to bring forth a path to the Root, she would still tell Saber this. Nothing should tarnish the pride of the King of Knights.

"Yes…" Saber said. "You're right." It was true, for the purpose she had been brought here was to ask the Holy Grail the ultimate question of her ideals. Even if Merlin had told her her kingship would end in tragedy, the Holy Grail would decide the true end of her fate. "Thank you, Irisviel. I almost lost everything that was dear to me."

Irisviel nodded. That forlorn look was gone from the King of Knights, and so Irisviel could once again smile.

Maiya watched quietly. A battle between kings had begun and ended in front of her. She let Irisviel and Saber finish, watching as the proud King of Knights was able to recover. Kiritsugu could never do something like that for Saber, as he didn't care for the grandiose ideals of the Heroic Spirits. Perhaps… perhaps with Irisviel, if the Holy Grail was corrupted and there was no point in fighting for the Holy Grail for the actualization of ideas through wishes, Maiya Hisau could fight to uphold ideals, ideals like those that Kariya and her held.

Children should not have to grow up abused...

* * *

Kirei held his silence as he listened through the gem powered communication device. Asako stood beside him, as quiet as he was. They had successfully baited Rider into using his ultimate Noble Phantasm, an EX-rank anti-army Noble Phantasm of incredible strength. Tokiomi said nothing, and Kirei simply waited. Had he seen through Kirei's deception by the speed in which Assassin seemed to have been defeated? Tokiomi was not watching the battle himself, so Kirei should have been able to trick him with ease…

"Idiot," Tokiomi said a loud and Kirei kept frozen, but there came nothing else from Tokiomi with that tone. "With Assassin gone, Kirei, you should not have to hold back your own strength."

"Yes, understood." He had successfully hidden Assassin's status from Tokiomi… Easily, he could conceal the Command Seals from Tokiomi but…

Kirei stormed out of the underground sanctum and went to his father's room. Risei was elsewhere in the church, so he entered without fear. The spirit board, he knew exactly where it was and he found it with ease. Kirei gripped it tightly in his hands, panting. With it in his possession, he felt suddenly foolish. "This does not say if a Servant is defeated or not…" The purpose of the spirit board was for the initial summoning, not for the defeated status. He sighed and slid it back where it belonged, returning back into the church's inner courtyard.

Assassin hovered close by in spirit form. "It is done then, Master. What shall we do next?"

Kirei did not truly know. Tokiomi and his goals could not be said to be in alignment any further. Would he claim the Grail for himself then? For what reason would he do such a thing?

"Master, we can wait for you to determine your wish. Do not worry, we are with you. All of our lives tell a story, and yours is no exception." Kirei was glad he had someone once again that believed in him, even if he had thrown away Claudia and Caren… Assassin was still with him.

* * *

Avenger eyed Irisviel through the corner of his eye. "So, you and Saber…"

She didn't look away from the crystal ball. "My sword, my beloved King of Knights… my Saber."

"I see," he said, and nothing more.


	6. Chapter 6: An Outsiders' Performance

Waver and Rider casually walked back toward the Mackenzie residence in Miyama, with Waver's face contorted in deep thought. Both his Servant's identity and the power of his ultimate Noble Phantasm had been revealed to all the other participants of the war, but maybe that was a good thing for him? The sheer strength of an EX rank Noble Phantasm could make them a target, but it could also divert their attention onto different strategies that weren't a frontal assault, strategies that Waver might have a chance at counteracting.

Rider set his massive hands on the sides of his King of Conquerors t-shirt. "What's wrong, kid? Ever since we left the feast, you don't seem to have said much. Ate something bad?"

Waver waved off the jokes. "I didn't. I'm just thinking about how the battle will go from now on."

A smirk found its way to Rider's face. "Really now? Finally motivated?"

Waver sighed as they came to the edge of the Mion river. He was actually trying to be serious here. A voice dragged Waver from his thoughts, however. It was a young girl's voice, with all the words in Japanese. You would think that Waver would have thought to learn at least enough Japanese to pick out some of the words in the girl's sentence and intuit the meaning from there, but there was an obvious problem there: Waver was a mage in a hurry, and an arrogant person without time rarely took the time to consider absolutely everything.

Either way, the girl stood on a roof, a kendo sword - a shinai - pointed down at the two foreigners. Her hair and eyes were a light brown and she wore the school outfit of Homurahara academy, not that Waver or Rider would know that fact. "Whoaaa! You two over there, did you hear me! Get away from there right now!" Waver's gaze, however, was guided toward the girl in the white sundress watching them from the shadow of the building.

"Hey, that's Ko, isn't it Rider? I should've known she might try to escape from the Mackenzie's house…" He began to approach, ignoring the words of the girl with the shinai. Rider tried to warn him, but…

"Hey, I told you to get away!" She raised the shinai into the air, the tiger strap on the side swaying with the motion, and then she tripped from the roof and landed right on Waver. "Whoops, sorry!" She scrambled back up to her feet, leaving Waver to nurse his wounds.

"Ow, owww… Why the hell is someone on a roof at this hour..." He looked up at Rider. "Uh, translate for me!"

"Right…" Rider set his hand on his chin in an over exaggerated thinking posture. "Little girl, my idiot friend here doesn't understand Japanese so I'll have to ask for him. Since it's so late at night, why did you climb onto that roof?" He could get to Ko in a moment.

"Well, I was chasing a thief! I followed the guy's path of escape, but that path lead me to the roof of that house! I was looking around for more clues but since it's so late I might have slipped…" She laughed as if embarrassed, rubbing the back of her head.

Rider told Waver what they had both said. "Well that's nice and all, but what's she doing with the girl we saved?"

"Yes… How did you come to meet that girl over there?" He pointed toward the girl who remained in the shadows, which the kendo girl dragged out by the arm and raised their combined hands toward the sky.

"That's simple! It's the Taiga-Ko Superstar Alliance! She said she needed to get somewhere outside of town and I needed to track down my friend's wine barrel, so we formed the most powerful duo in all of Fuyuki!"

Rider laughed heartily. "Is that so! Well, I'd love to have someone with as much vigor as you in my army! However, it seems our fates are aligned. That girl is under both our protections."

"Awesome!" Taiga dropped Ko's arm and raised her shinai back into the air. "All right, then that means we should form a four-way alliance! Taiga-Ko-Muscle Guy-Weird Guy Who Looks Like He's Never Had A Happy Smile In His Life Superstar Alliance!"

Waver could intuitively sense something was being said about him. "Hey…"

Rider quickly translated and Waver sensed another thing coming as Rider spoke again. "Girl, this whole business with the wine barrel is a misunderstanding. The wine wasn't stolen, but taken as spoils of war-"

Waver jumped up and made a huge motion with his arms. "Hey, hey, hey! Let's not say things like that!" He looked right at Rider. "I don't need the trouble from you saying unnecessary things, Rider!"

Taiga didn't quite get what the guy was saying but shrugged. "Anyway, I thought those thieves couldn't have gotten too far away so I thought I'd track them down and get that barrel back."

Rider didn't think she could possibly get that back but. "Your heartfelt spirit of putting yourself on the line for your friend is certainly worthy of great praise. I'm sure your passions will be rewarded!" Well, because the person who took it was right in front of her. That wine barrel would not be returning, however.

"Right!? Right!?" Taiga was filled with energy once again. "The criminal seemed to have been on some sort of carriage, but the tracks disappeared halfway! It looked like they flew straight into the sky! Did you guys see anything like a carriage?"

Rider stroked his chin. "Well, there was a war chariot but-" Waver was making very clear, exaggerated signals for him not to say such things. "But no, we didn't see a carriage."

Taiga seemed stumped. "I thought it would be easy to run into them since a carriage is a pretty unique thing to see here in Fuyuki but-" Ko tugged on the hem of Taiga's skirt and pointed out toward the river. "Ah! There! Look, look at the river!"

Rider and Waver turned their heads. "Hmm?" "What!?" The sound of a dog barking cut through the newly founded silence.

"A puppy?" Rider said as all four of them moved toward the edge of the river. "It's in the shallows."

Waver thought for a moment. "Let's get it out of there then. You see a rope or something?" Taiga was already on the railing. "Hey, wait-!"

Taiga hit the water with a splash and began to scramble for the dog. "Ah! Cold! Man, this current is too fast…! Come here, doggy!" She wrapped her hands around the midsection of the soaking dog, but it struggled in her grasp. "Hey, stop moving or I'll fall in myself! Ah! Don't!"

Rider shook his head as he watched. "Come on, you two. We've gotta help her before she drowns."

* * *

A short time later, Taiga, with her shoes completely soaked, handed Ko the merrily barking dog. "Ah, thank goodness. I thought I'd die there… Usually the Mion river isn't so active. I wonder what's going on there." She looked up at Rider and Waver. "Thanks, you two! I don't know if Ko could have dragged me out of the water without your help!"

Rider shrugged. "It's nothing. You're the one who jumped in bravely without hesitation." He looked down at a panting Waver. "What's wrong, kid?"

Waver had his hands on his knees, bent over in utter exhaustion. "I'm... " He took another deep breath in. "I'm not good at physical labour…."

Taiga jumped on that immediately. "Hey, are you out of energy? That's not good! You have to start exercising more! What if something bad happens? You gotta be able to rely on your own strength!"

"Yeah, yeah…" He waved his hand in indifference. "I've got along fine so far, but apart from that…" Waver stood back up, stretching out his pained back. "You just jumped right in! What were you thinking? At least put some thought into what you're doing before you do it!"

Rider translated for Taiga. She just put her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out. "I did think it through first, of course!"

"When!?"

"I trusted you guys to save me if it got dangerous!"

Waver just held his head in his hands. "Geez, you are way too trusting. What if you were being used when you were sent to find the wine barrel?"

Taiga just shrugged and twirled her shinai. "Nah! My friend was in trouble so it was only natural that I would jump to help her out. I can't leave someone who's troubled by the roadside! Why would I suspect someone if they haven't done anything wrong? You gotta believe in the kindness of others."

Waver shook his head. "Sophistry."

Taiga shrugged once more. "That's just what I believe in. You gotta believe in something, right?"

"Sheesh…" Waver mumbled. "What the heck is wrong with you… Whatever, at least we're mutual allies with this alliance I guess."

Taiga made a weird face at Waver. "Hm? I don't think my grandfather would just let you have my hand in marriage so easily!"

Waver spun around to look at Rider. "Hey, what's wrong with you!? What did you translate what I said into?"

Rider smiled. "Huh? I was just trying to give you the chance to enjoy a romantic experience."

Waver punched Rider ineffectually in the side. "What the heck!? We have a Grail War to win! I don't have time for nonsense like this!" Also, Waver wasn't into girls and Taiga was pretty young. What the heck, Urobuchi? Why did you write this nonsense line that's actually in the Drama CD?

Nonetheless, Taiga turned her head to the side and pointed her shinai forward once more. "Ah! Quick, Ko! Hold that doggy tight because that's the panty thief who's been stalking Fuyuki! Hurry up, you two! We have to catch that pervert!"

Once again, the four ran off.

* * *

Moments later, the four of them walked around the dark streets of residential Miyama as they searched for the dog's owner. Taiga hummed a cheery tune with Ko following the tune with her own, much quieter hum.

Waver sighed and talked to Rider in the back of the pack. "All right. We handed off that underwear thief to the police, shouldn't we be taking Ko and getting out of here? I know the police said we should just give the dog straight to the owner but she can do that on her own, right?"

"Well, the girl we saved from Caster looks quite cheerful. Don't you think it would be best to let her have her smile?"

"You look quite cheery yourself, Rider. Why's that?"

Rider laughed quietly to himself. "It's nothing, just… When I look at her, I think of someone I used to know. Back when I was a kid, there was a guy who dragged me along like this too…" He smiled at those ancient memories of his time with his lover, Hephaestion.

Waver was quiet and solemn for once. "So, you had this kind of friend too…"

"I guess so, and because of him I expanded my horizons." Rider seemed solemn as well. There was grief there, but it was the grief of the King of Conquerors, a man who could never understand the concept of regret. "I wonder how many of those sculptures still exist…?"

The barking of the dog pulled them out of their thoughts and back toward the front of the group where Taiga was pointing at the front door of one of the houses. "Hey, the puppy ran up to the door! I was right, this is it!"

The door opened immediately and a young girl emerged, eyes going wide with surprise and joy. It was almost like she had been waiting at the door all night, waiting for the return of her puppy. "Biliz! Where were you? I was really worried!"

Taiga bounced up toward the door. "I guess you're this doggy's owner?"

The girl looked up, a bit nervous. "Mhm. Did you guys bring him here, Onee-san?"

Taiga puffed her chest out once again. "Mhm! It got lost, but we got directions by asking where the owner on the back of the collar lived!" She gestured at Ko, Rider and Waver. "These guys all helped too!"

The girl's nervousness dissipated, replaced with happiness. "Oh! Thank you, Onee-san, Onii-sans, Imouto-san! Thank you so much!"

Taiga turned back to them. "She's saying thank you~"

Waver understood without a translation. "I was just passing by… It wasn't a big deal."

Rider clapped Waver on the back. "You know you can just be happy, right? Or is it just that you don't know how to react to someone thanking you earnestly?"

Waver just threw up his hands again. "Whatever! You're annoying, you know that!?"

* * *

The four once again returned to the streets of Miyama. Taiga held her hands behind her head, her shinai hanging off her shoulder in its bag. "As. I. Thought! It was right to go to her home. I'm real glad that she's so happy, aren't you, Ko?"

The young girl nodded. "Yes…" She spoke as if wistful. "Such a smile for the simple return of her dog…"

"Ah~ That's right~ That smile was real bright, wasn't it~?" Taiga seemed lost in her heroics, eyes closed in bliss.

Waver could only sigh. It was good that this girl had seemed to get Ko to speak somewhat, but she really seemed like a handful. "You keep running around like this for other people. Don't you have any troubles of your own to deal with?"

"Of course!" Taiga snapped out of her reverie immediately, entering some other sort of electrified state. "Most girls my age are concerned with tons of things! Love, school, my future! Tons of things!"

Waver mused quietly to himself. "Your future, huh…?" He turned back to Taiga. "With energy like that, I'm sure you could put those strengths of yours to good use somehow. Maybe you'd be suited to teaching others? I could see you as a teacher...:"

Rider nodded along. "Yes, if you work a bit harder, soon you could become a teacher and guide those who seek knowledge! Perhaps you'd become a model teacher better than even Aristotle!"

Taiga blinked, confused. "Arisu-who?" Maybe she needed to brush up on her history a bit more. "Who are you comparing me with?"

Waver was quick to begin sweeping Rider's words under the rug. "Well then, since everything is finished, we can part ways here. Ko's living with us, so we'll take her back."

"Oh, so you're like her parents." Before Waver could immediately and harshly interject, she crouched down beside the young girl. "Sorry I wasn't able to take you to where you needed to go. Maybe these two will be able to help you better than me? Hm?" Taiga gave Ko a big smile. The young girl couldn't help but smile back. "All right!" Taiga shot back up. "If you're all going home, I will continue my search for the wine barrel thief! Thank you for the help!"

"Wait, wait, wait." Waver shook his head at the very thought of someone sticking around outside during something as dangerous as the Fourth Holy Grail War. Caster was still around! "You should head home as soon as possible! Fuyuki's only been getting more and more unsafe."

Rider translated and then added on. "I am of the same opinion. Girl, you should head home as soon as possible." He raised his fist to his chest. "As the King of Conquerors, I will give unto you a reward. My promise to you will be that I will return that wine barrel that your friend's establishment no longer owns."

"Oh, really? Well, if I can rely on you I won't worry any longer! Even though I'd really like to find them myself just to make sure… Do you think I could come with you then-"

Waver wasn't taking any chances with trying to persuade her to go home. Quickly, he threw a suggestion spell her way and Taiga's face was contorted in sudden confusion. "I… why am I here..? Oh, right. I was going home…" She waved to the three of them before she turned around and began to walk home with a disoriented step.

"Phew." Waver wiped the sweat from his forehead. "All right, let's go." He took a step and then stopped. "You better not be planning on just stealing some wine from someone else to give to her!"

"The market's just over there, we could just plunder-"

"Agh! I'll think of something, so just don't cause any more trouble for us!"

Ko simply giggled to herself.

* * *

Kiritsugu had sequestered himself back within the hotel that was the headquarters that Maiya and he operated from. It was no longer the simple hotel room with a television to playback footage recorded by Maiya's familiars, now it was like the den of a conspiracy theorist. Maps papered the walls with reports of leyline activity, police radio chatter and other surveillance connected via red string to numerous regions across the maps. With Assassin defeated by Rider at the Einzbern Castle, it was only a matter of time before the other Masters began dropping from the war in rapid succession.

Maiya was still on the line. "... an EX rank Noble Phantasm. If not for the inept Master, Rider would be a near unstoppable Servant." That was the plan between Maiya and Kiritsugu for the quickest elimination of Rider from the war. Trust in Saber was not even on the table to discuss. Killing Waver was just the easiest way to avoid injury to their party.

"My thoughts exactly." He finished writing down the last of Maiya's report. However, even if Rider was an immense danger to their victory, he was still massively concerned with Assassin's Master. To Kiritsugu, ideals were one of the most important things in all of life and yet he still couldn't tell why Kirei Kotomine was in this war. First, Maiya and him had suspected Kirei to just be working for Tokiomi… but he had attacked Maiya twice and Irisviel once. As Irisviel's husband and Maiya's father, he could not forgive Kirei for that. Certainly, Irisviel and Maiya felt the same way.

Kiritsugu set his papers aside and lit a cigarette. Maiya didn't say anything for a time, but he was sure she wanted to say something else. "Father…" she said. It wasn't the voice of the soldier that operated with the machine that was Kiritsugu Emiya, no, this was the voice of Kiritsugu's eldest daughter.

He inhaled and then exhaled, smoke spilling into the room. "What is it, Maiya?"

"I…" She halted herself before she said whatever it was that she wanted to say. "No, do not worry. Goodnight, Father." Maiya hung up before he could response and he set the phone back on the table. As her father, how could he not worry? Was it her injuries? Something she saw?

He grinded the cigarette down into the ashtray. He needed to focus on the mission.

* * *

Gilgamesh held his stomach and laughed. "You betrayed Tokiomi and kept Assassin alive!?" He kicked his feet against the couch in Kirei's room as laughs filled the room. "You continue to intrigue me, Kirei!"

Kirei sat across from him on a chair, staring into the middle distance. His mind was still swirling with his thoughts going forward. Now, no one knew that Assassin lived but him and Gilgamesh. He didn't think for a moment that Gilgamesh would tell Tokiomi, so all that remained was to remain invisible as the rest vied for the Holy Grail. Unfortunately, even that was likely impossible due to his promise with the King of Heroes.

Assassin stood in the far back of the room, shrouded by the shadows of a cabinet. Archer was all too aware of her presence, but neither acknowledged one another. To Gilgamesh, Assassin was a tool. To Hundred Personas, Archer was a tyrant. Normally, this sort of setup would cause Archer to simply kill Assassin without another thought, but Assassin was Kirei's tool, and Archer had a very fine interest in Kirei.

Gilgamesh calmed himself in time and returned to sipping Kirei's fine wine. "Upon the topic of our agreement, Kirei… Has Assassin completed their assignment?" The actions and motives of the other Masters, that which Kirei had promised to collect.

"Assassin," Kirei said. "Deliver your-"

Gilgamesh shook his head. "No, I have no interest in someone who sneaks around in shadows like a thief." Assassin suppressed a growl. "Only when you say it, Kirei, will it possess meaning."

"Very well…" There were only two Masters that had any motives of note: the Master of Berserker and the Master of Saber.

Kariya Matou's retreat from the Matou family had been what caused Sakura Matou to enter the deprived den of the worm magi, and he now sought some sort of redemption for the act. He also had some sort of relationship with Tokiomi's wife in the past which Kirei and Assassin assumed to be romantic in nature. Additionally, there seemed to be a relationship forming between him and Maiya Hisau. He didn't put much thought into it, since she was probably developing a situation to manipulate him and eliminate him.

Second was Kiritsugu Emiya and by extension Irisviel von Einzbern and Maiya Hisau. They had seemed to see through the ploy Tokiomi and Kirei enacted at the beginning of the war and were still the most dangerous to him. Kirei would have lied about this under normal circumstances, but there was no point to it now. He no longer had the strong conviction that Kiritsugu Emiya would provide an answer for the hole in his heart.

"We will not concern ourselves with the first three then," Gilgamesh said at the very end of the report. "They are but mindless drones seeking my treasure for pointless reasons."

Kirei sighed. "If they were of no value, then perhaps we should not have investigated them at all. Your response makes it look as if Assassin diverted their attention for nothing."

"That is hardly the case, Kirei." He took a pointed sip of wine. "You've produced great results."

"If you are mocking me, then simply state it."

The King of Heroes shook his head. "Think carefully upon why you thought to mention those two Masters. Your heart has told me all I needed to know about your true feelings." He looked upon the wine. "Unfortunately, pursuing Saber's Master is something I cannot allow for the time being."

Kirei did not care anymore. "Very well, then the Master of Berserker then, Kariya Matou?"

"Yes, him. Even if I allowed you to pursue Saber's Master, your concern for him as of now is born out of feelings of the truth you thought you held. The Master of Berserker is a different tale."

"His story is simply more complicated, that is all."

"You could have summarized his position as holding a grudge against Tokiomi, but you made clear to Assassin to investigate to an unusual degree of depth, do you not think, Kirei?"

Had he? Kirei thought that there was purpose to investigating Kariya. He hated his mentor, Tokiomi, and he held a Servant capable of turning Archer's Gate of Babylon against him. However, because of Kariya's physical condition, he'd die if Kirei simply left him alone. So that was Gilgamesh's game then, to derive Kirei's inner thoughts through his subconscious interest in the other Masters. It was fairly ingenious, Kirei couldn't help but admit that.

Therefore, Kirei sought out the reason Gilgamesh thought he was interested in Kariya Matou. If the man would die without Kirei intervening, then what was the point in caring? He traced along the line of what Assassin had learned from their spying. The key to it all was…

"You see it now then. If Kariya Matou wins, despair can only follow. There is nothing but that rich despair at the end of that path." He smiled, as if savouring the thought of it.

Assassin understood what was happening, but she felt helpless to stop it. Kirei simply raised an eyebrow in question. "This entire endeavour was in pursuit of pleasure. What pleasure is there to be gained from seeing this man despair? It would be a charity for him to be eliminated early in the war."

"Why is your idea of pleasure so narrowly defined? For all beings, pleasure can take any number of forms."

Kirei clenched his fists. So that was it. "Pleasure through despair is not something that can be forgiven, by man or God."

Gilgamesh prepared himself to sit through Kirei's tirade. "Luckily for you, Kirei, I rest within that delicate intersection as the King of Heroes."

"And I would be forgiven by a man who seeks to savor the suffering of others? That is no better than being cleared of murder by a murderer. I will not let such evil into my heart and soul!" Kirei was seething. To be told such things by the King of Heroes…

Gilgamesh simply gestured to Kirei's hand. "You say all these things, but you still hold the Command Seals for Assassin. You chose to betray Tokiomi, not anyone else. If not here to seek the Holy Grail itself, if not here to give it to Tokiomi, what reason remains but simple pleasure itself?"

That was something Kirei couldn't argue with or deny. That choice had been his and no one else's. "My reason to fight in the Holy Grail War…" He ran a hand against his face, images of his wife and daughter running through his head. He had felt despair and sorrow, but he had also felt pleasure in feeling those two things, and seeing that despair on them. But that was a sin…

"This 'Holy Grail War,'" Archer said. "The actual procurement of the Holy Grail is rarely the important thing. Only the Three Founding Families care for the actual properties of my treasure, so what remains is the battle. In fighting for the Grail, you will find the true happiness you seek."

"But to seek that I must trample upon the dreams and wishes of all the others and make an enemy of my teacher." He said those words as if he could not believe them, but he did. Kirei understood what the path forward was.

Archer smiled slyly. "I wonder how your weakened Assassin will defeat me." He brought the wine glass up to his lips, planting that seed of an idea in Kirei's mind.

"Thusly…" Kirei said to himself. "In seeking entertainment from the despair of others, I will find pleasure, and through this pleasure I will find my happiness."

"Exactly," Archer said.

 _No…_ Assassin thought. This was but one possible truth for their Master but this was not the one they wanted. They were angry. To claim the Grail as their Master's Servant would be impossible as long as Archer whispered in his ear. There had to be something they could do, but what was it? Who could they kill or what words would shift their Master from the path he had been set on? How could they save Kirei Kotomine?

* * *

Saber gently slid the Mercedes-Benz in front of their new base of operations. It was what both Maiya and Irisviel described as a 'traditional Japanese manor', situated in northern Miyama. The bounded field of the Einzbern Castle had been weakened significantly and the internal structure had been damaged as well. It only made sense for them to depart and seek a new headquarters for Saber and Irisviel to operate from.

"This will be much better, Saber," Irisviel said as she took Saber's hand to step out of the car. "I have heard that the Third Holy Grail War was different, since it took place on the eve of the Second World War, but all of the others operated in strict secrecy." The Einzbern Castle was much less secretive, especially when considering the usual tactics of the Einzbern founding family.

Saber agreed, looking out at the other houses in the area. "This is awfully close to the headquarters of the Tohsaka and Matou Masters… Yes, Kiritsugu's plan is definitely the most correct choice." Saber was still of the same mind on Kiritsugu. Perhaps his strategies were the most tactically valid, but the means by which he executed those plans still stirred anger in her chivalrous heart.

Maiya stepped out of her car and produced the keys to the building for the two of them. "Here are the keys, Madame."

"Ah, if you could just give those to Saber."

Saber took them and looked at the numerous keys attached to the ring. There were a lot of them, and they weren't clearly labeled. "Maiya, what does each key unlock?" It might be important to know for future reference.

Maiya took them back for a moment, unlocking the front gate. She explained to Saber the purpose of each key as Irisviel peered inside. With some finality, Maiya stopped at the last key, a red-brown key with rounded edges. "This is for the storehouse in the courtyard. It may look like an old key, but I believe the structure would be best for a workshop rather than the main house itself."

"Is that so?" Irisviel said in a wondering tone. "Maiya, could you unload the thaumaturgical supplies from my car? I need to speak with Saber." Maiya bowed her head obediently and Saber and Irisviel slipped into the manor grounds.

The home itself seemed stable, albeit dusty, but the rest of the courtyard was home to tall grass and weeds. To Irisviel, it looked almost like a haunted house, though Saber didn't see it. Even with the scary label Irisviel ascribed to it, she looked around with a keen interest. "A real old Japanese house… I'm sure Kiritsugu picked this one out just so I could see one." Saber didn't dare bring doubt to Irisviel's happy feelings.

After some exploring, Irisviel stood in a large tatami-matted room - one that would become a kitchen and living room for a different sort of family in ten years time - and began to contemplate her next actions as a magus. "Yes… Maiya was right, this sort of home won't suit the magecraft of the Einzberns. Why don't we investigate that storehouse, Saber?"

A moment later, Saber cracked open the lock of the storehouse and stepped inside with Irisviel. "This does seem much more fitting," Saber said, letting Irisviel inspect things much closer.

"Yes, I agree completely. Let's begin immediately, before it gets dark." She gestured toward the back of the storehouse. "We'll need a magic circle. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you for that task, Saber. It'll have to be a circle of a radius of fifteen centimeters, facing toward us with two hexagrams inscribed in the center."

Saber listened intently, but her thoughts were elsewhere. "I'll aid Maiya in retrieving the last of the supplies, but… Irisviel, I must ask you something." Irisviel turned toward Saber, that smile still on her face. To ask broke Saber's heart, but she had to as Irisviel's knight. "I have noticed that you've been going out of your way to avoid touching things, be it the keys or the steering wheel or now. If you've been injured or you've fallen ill, please tell me." Her voice was strong, but it was as if she were begging.

Irisviel closed her eyes, letting the smile fall from her face. "I didn't mean to hide anything from you, Saber." A look of distinct melancholy rested in her eyes. "Might I have your hand?"

"Of course." Saber did as she asked and set her hand before Irisviel.

Irisviel grasped Saber's hand in both of hers. "I am going to put all of my strength into squeezing your hand, okay?" Saber nodded and waited.

It seemed to take a long time for Irisviel to begin and Saber found her eyes trailing down to Irisviel's delicate fingers. All they did was shake, applying no pressure to Saber's hand. "Irisviel…?"

"This is all I can manage right now, Saber." She took her hands away and turned away, but Saber moved faster, wrapping her arms around the other woman's midsection. "Saber…?"

Saber's voice was pained as she held Irisviel tightly. "Please, Irisviel… You should have told me. I made a promise to you, to protect you. How can I do that if you close off these worries from me, sealing such things in your heart? Please..." She truly was pleading now. "Do not force yourself if you aren't well."

"It's nothing…" Irisviel set a hand on Saber's gloved wrist, not pulling away. "I simply turned off my sensation of touch to maintain my health. This sort of thing is just part of being a homunculus - simply a blemish in my construction. You don't have to concern yourself with such things."

Saber knew what Irisviel said was the truth. If she kept on, a truth filled with despair would be bared to her. Saber had to stop herself and hold back these feelings for now. If Saber was not a Servant, if Irisviel were not a homunculus of the Einzbern, and if there was no Grail War then maybe then… In this moment, she let Irisviel slip from her fingers. "I understand," Saber said as they returned to how they had been but a few moments before. "Please wait for a moment while I help Maiya retrieve the supplies." She didn't look at Irisviel's face as she left.

Maiya had already set some of the luggage at the door of the storehouse and Saber found her at the cars with the rest. Without a word, Maiya set a briefcase into Saber's hand and the two began to walk to the storehouse. "How is she, Saber?"

Maiya could handle the truth. "Unwell."

"I see." A conflicted look passed over Maiya's face. "I'm sure Madame Irisviel will need you more and more in the coming days, Saber."

"Yes…" And Saber would unquestionably be there for her.


	7. Chapter 7: The Sword of Promised Victory

Okeanos… A dream so much bigger than Waver's own. All the young magus wished for was to be taken seriously, something that an omnipotent wish from the Holy Grail would consider child's play. But the dream of the King of Conquerors was something entirely different. Perhaps childish, perhaps singular, but it was so much grander than the thoughts in Waver's head. To behold those endless faraway waves with one's own eyes and to leave the footprints of your sandals in those eternal dunes of sand… What a magnificent dream. What a pure dream…

Those thoughts resided in Waver's head as he stood beneath the shade of the bookcases in one of Shinto's many bookstores. He had pushed Rider and Ko away to go and browse the other stores in Shinto while he sought the answer to one singular question. Luckily for him, he was able to find a book written in English on the exact topic he wished to delve into.

"So this is the man you were, Rider…" He read with haste, sucked into the world of Iskandar's story. It was almost as if the author themself saw that dream of Okeanos and described the feelings of his followers. Once again, there it was… That dream of Okeanos.

"Rider…" A familiar voice said, and Waver looked up to see that girl, Ko, looking up at him. He almost panicked and began to dissuade her from continuing with his odd line of conversation, but she only continued. "Iskandar, the King of Conquerors. Possessing two Noble Phantasms: one of A+ rank and the other of EX rank." In her eyes seemed a deep void, that of a zealous killer. Even if she was only a small child, Waver felt himself shake. How could she know such things?

"Ko… What are you saying?" His voice was fearful, but still he asked.

"Master of Rider… Waver Velvet, a student at the Mage's Association Clock Tower. Deemed a low threat by most all parties save for the strength of his Servant…" Something shifted in her gaze and her hand moved to cradle her head in pain.

Waver took a cautious step toward her. "K-Ko… Are you all right?" He reached out his hand, as if to set it on her shoulder… but a shadow appeared behind him.

"Aha! So that's where you two were!" Rider towered over the two, a white paper bag in his hand. "I have procured the great treasure known as 'Admirable Grand Strategies IV!'"

Waver was still on edge, but it was easy to shift it all onto Rider. "Agh! I was just about to figure something out and you had to distract me!" He looked back at Ko, only to see her changed completely from the girl he had just seen.

Damn it all… he thought.

* * *

Across Fuyuki, the Magic Circuits of all the capable mages were seized with a sudden burst of pain. Immediately, all the Masters jumped into action to ascertain the nature of this obvious threat. Saber and Irisviel were the first pair to appear in the open, with the rest present simply observing. Out in the open, in the middle of the Mion River, was the devil known as Caster.

Saber gripped the front of her suit with her fist. "Caster! What devilry is this?"

He only bowed. "Welcome, holy maiden! This night of revelry shall be for my Master, but I am delighted that you are here to bask as well!" In his hand appeared Prelati's Spellbook and with a simple flick of his wrist, out came those demons born from the flesh of his victims. Those tentacled beings appeared in droves, bringing themselves out from the water itself to steadily engulf Caster.

"That amount of raw mana…" Saber could already sense the absolute power beginning to culminate on that river. "What kind of Noble Phantasm…"

Irisviel stood by Saber's side once again as the monsters quickly gathered themselves around Caster in a massive conglomeration, gaining height with immense speed. "That creature must be under Caster's control." She turned her head to Saber. "This Servant - Caster - is only going to harm innocents, Saber."

Saber understood without further words. As she brought out Excalibur and casted on her armor, the Gordius Wheel stormed up beside her. "Oi, Saber… Is that bastard still trying to enslave you?"

"King of Conquerors… If you've come to make jokes, get out of my way." She didn't even spare the time to look at him. "The only thing that matters is stopping Caster before he makes his way onto land."

"Hmph… For this night and this night alone you are correct, Saber. I've gathered the other Servants to fight."

Saber finally gave him a glance. "The others?"

"You saw me crush Assassin with Ionioi Hetairoi, whereas Archer and Berserker are out of the question! It will be Lancer, yourself and I that will have to bring an end to this beast!"

Lancer appeared as if on cue. "Indeed. King of Conquerors, King of Knights… As with our last battle with Caster, Saber, my Gae Dearg will be the key."

Saber watched as Caster's monster finally finished forming and scanned it quickly for any weak spots. "Lancer, can you hit the grimoire from here?"

Lancer smirked simply. "If it wasn't covered in demons, I'd be able to land a strike with ease. Don't look down on the Lancer class now, King of Knights."

"I would never." Saber allowed herself a momentary smile. "Rider, we'll provide the opening."

To Irisviel, this seemed an odd arrangement for three Servants to instantly ally, even if for the purpose of eliminating a demon like Caster. Was this the nature of the ideals of the Heroic Spirits? Or had they all been able to set aside their ideals for this singular purpose? Had she witnessed strength or flexibility on that night?

Waver peeked out from the chariot of Gordius Wheel. "What's wrong, Einzbern? Your Servant's plan seems fine."

She set aside these thoughts for the moment. "Nothing is wrong. The Einzberns accept this truce." She gave Saber her last tidings of good luck. "We'll be counting on you, Saber." Irisviel meant not only those gathered there, but also Kiritsugu and Maiya. Would Saber sense that simply by the tone of her voice?

There was no hint of this hope on Saber's face. "Rider, let's go!"

* * *

Avenger spun one of his shortswords, Zarich, in his hand idly. "So, Caster, what's the deal? Even if that priest still has Assassin, how are things going to be different? Caster's still made that huge demon and all the Servants are going after him."

Irisviel sat in idle silence. "A Holy Grail War is a battle of ideals. If they've changed, even slightly, then the end result will be immensely different. If Kotomine has held onto Assassin, and if Maiya is our agent in the shadows… then anything could happen. Do you understand, Avenger? If you had never changed your ideals, then your Master would have never escaped that four day cycle."

"Heh. You make a fair point there, Caster. I'm sure that lady's just living it up in that worldline." He hung his head over the side of his chair. "Hell, if we stop this whole thing right here, she'll probably have a whole different mess of a life ahead of her." Avenger snickered to himself. "Guess I won't be able to help her out this time."

Irisviel shook her head and sighed. "Okay, Avenger…" What an odd partner she had found herself...

[hr]

Kirei gave the word, sending out Assassin across the outline of the Mion river. "Seek out Caster's Master. Denying all other Masters the reward of a Command Seal will be our priority for the night, even Tokiomi Tohsaka."

Kirei took up position in suitable cover to watch both Caster's monster and Gilgamesh's golden throne, Vimana: _Throne of the Heaven-soaring King_. Gilgamesh was arrogant enough to not care in the slightest for the destruction that Caster could cause, and Kirei cared little as well. This entire city was nothing but a sacrificial pit for the purpose of the Holy Grail War. His goals had shifted. There was a new purpose in his heart.

A burst of Noble Phantasms from the Gate of Babylon rocked Caster's beast, but just like the swings from the blades of Saber and Rider, the damage was near instantly regenerated. A creature like that would require either an Anti-Fortress or Anti-World Noble Phantasm, and Kirei knew the only Anti-World Noble Phantasm possible in the Fuyuki Holy Grail system would not be drawn today.

"Master Kirei, Ryuunosuke Uryuu is simply in the open. Shall we begin?"

A fighter jet blazed overhead, intense explosions crackling down the river from missiles and gunfire. A tentacle from that creature brought the jet down in an instant, swallowing it up into its flesh. Kirei clenched his teeth. "Begin, Assassin," he said, just as the other fighter jet arrived with Berserker...

* * *

Kariya stood on that rooftop as Tokiomi descended down from Vimana. His Magic Circuits were aflame with their dual purpose of keeping Berserker in play and bringing his unique application of the Matou family magecraft, Blade Wing Worms, to bear. Berserker fired upon Archer with Noble Phantasm enhanced gunfire, grabbing and throwing back those weapons from the Gate of Babylon. With Berserker he stood a chance of victory and that simple goal.

"Tokiomi!" he screamed.

"Kariya Matou… you've changed." There was almost pity in his eyes. "The mere sight of you slanders the name of the Matou family."

Kariya laughed. "Who cares." The glory of the Matou family did not matter in the slightest to him. There was only one thing he cared about now. "Tell me one thing, Tokiomi. Why did you give Sakura to Zouken?" Pain blurred his vision, but anger blinded him.

"What? Is that really the thing you should be concerning yourself with?" Even if the question was unexpected, Tokiomi remained elegant to the end. Kariya hated that.

"Answer me!"

"You should know the answer to that question. I only wished for my beloved daughter to have a happy future of her own. Both Rin and Sakura deserve that chance to reach the Root."

Kariya had not expected such a simple answer, but that only made his anger bubble over. "That's it? Pitting sister against sister? Subjecting Sakura to the torture of Crest Worm implantation by Zouken's hand?" He made tight fists with his hands, calling up his Blade Ring Worms. "Just for that insane ideal you mages have!?"

Tokiomi waved his hand at Kariya's concerns. "All our paths toward the Root are fraught with pain, but even so, the pain of denying Sakura that opportunity would be greater. As her father, there was only one choice I could make."

"No more words, Tokiomi! You had a choice! All you did was deny Sakura the possibility of a normal life!" Even he had been given that choice, a useless man with no skills and only minimal aptitude for magecraft. "I'll kill you, Tokiomi, and I'll give Sakura back her life!" If Sakura, Rin and Aoi all hated him for killing the patriarch of the Tohsaka family… What did it matter?

Kariya threw his arm forward. "Tear him to pieces!"

With a simple circular flourish, Tokiomi threw up a barrier of fire from his Mystic Code. Each of Kariya's Blade Ring Worms was incinerated the moment they touched it, but Kariya had nothing else except his bottomless anger. Tokiomi was not even the slightest bit phased. "If you truly hate me for giving the Matou magecraft to Sakura, then you have only yourself to blame for rejecting it."

That's right, Kariya thought. This was his apology to Sakura.

* * *

Ryuunosuke stood on the edge of the Mion river with all the other onlookers, arms reached out with eyes filled with excited bliss. "The Lord truly has come, Mister Bluebeard! Show me what you know as true joy! Go for it! Slaughter them-" Something threw him to the ground and he gripped his stomach as blood poured around his fingertips. To him, there was beauty even in his own viscera. "So this is the colour I was-"

A dark hand clasped itself over his eyes. "There is no joy in senseless slaughter. Die now, heretic, knowing your ideals were rebuked by all those around you." With that, Assassin slit Ryuunosuke's throat, killing him as quickly as Kiritsugu's second bullet would have.

Kiritsugu saw, however, and called Maiya instantly. "Maiya, there's been a complication."

* * *

Saber stepped back onto land as Rider pulled Caster's beast into Ionioi Hetairoi. If only she had access to Excalibur: _Sword of Promised Victory_ she could destroy Caster, but like a geis, her promise with Lancer denied access.

Irisviel pulled a phone from within her coat as it shook. "Ah… How am I supposed to use this again?" Waver took it from her and pressed the button to receive the call.

"Iri?" came the voice.

"Eh? No, this is-"

"Rider's Master, just as well…"

He listened and spoke with Kiritsugu quickly and then handed the phone back to Irisviel before turning to Lancer. "Uh, yeah, Lancer. That guy had a message for you. 'Saber's left hand commands an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm.'"

Lancer's face was met with astonishment before being instantly replaced with firm resolve. "Saber, is this true?"

Saber nodded slowly. "Yes, but even if it may be possible to eliminate Caster with it, I gave you my word that we would continue our duel. The removal of this injury would be a betrayal to you."

Lancer shook his head only once. "Place the blame on me, Saber… For this code of chivalry that we both believe in, we must destroy that thing before it can reach the shore. The end of our duel is not for my victory or yours, it is for the victory of our beliefs."

"Beliefs…" Saber let the word slip from her lips. She clenched her teeth and let her head hang. "I'll allow you to place the blame upon your shoulders, Lancer, but I beseech you. Find it in your heart to forgive me for allowing you to take that burden." No one else spoke in the face of these fierce beliefs by the two knights. This was the conviction of the Heroic Spirits, something that those present could not compare to the beliefs of humanity.

Lancer rammed his red spear into the ground, gripping Gae Buidhe with his two hands. "You don't need my forgiveness, Saber." With firm resolve, he snapped that Noble Phantasm as if it were a twig. "I will entrust victory to the one and only King of Knights."

Saber brought her head back up and tightened her returned strength back onto the hilt of her sword. Excalibur unsheathed itself from Invisible Air, shining with golden light. "I swear it upon my blade, I will bring us all victory!" She looked to Waver. "Master of Rider, give the King of Conquerors the signal!"

Waver blinked, dumbfounded until he recovered. "Oh, yeah! Rider!"

* * *

Kiritsugu held onto the flare gun as he positioned himself in a suitable position for the crossing of two Noble Phantasms. Above, Archer and Berserker darted about as dogfighters. Saber ran across the water, putting herself in position to unleash her Noble Phantasm.

Berserker shifted his attention from the King of Heroes to the knight on the water. "ARRTHURRR!" Bullets splashed the water at her feet, distracting her from her mission.

Back on the beach, Lancer kicked up Gae Dearg into his arms as he widened his stance. "A modern machine consumed by mana… Then this is my final gift to you, King of Knights." He pulled back the spear in a tight grip and launched it with all the power afforded to him as a Heroic Spirit. "Gae Dearg!" As soon as the red spear touched the fighter jet, it dropped out of the sky and was consumed by the Mion river, taking Berserker with it into those dark depths.

Saber was allowed respite, but so was the King of Heroes. He looked down at her from Vimana, eyes keen with arrogance. "Well then, Saber. Go on, show me your worth as a Heroic Spirit."

Kiritsugu shot up the flare. Caster's monster dropped out of Ionioi Hetairoi. Saber gripped Excalibur in both of her hands and raised the holy sword above her head. As light gathered around the one and only King of Knights, Saber spoke her words true. "I give us victory with this strike, Lancer, Irisviel."

"Sheathed in the breath of stars.

A torrent of shining life. Hail!

The Sword of Promised Victory!

EXCALIBUR!"

Holy light burst forth with the swing from the King of Knights, engulfing that beast and destroying it within that blast. Irisviel, Waver, and all of the Servants were captivated by that light, even Gilles de Rais. Something clicked in his mind, thick and disgusting realization spreading across his features. "Jeanne!" he screamed out as tears pooled in his eyes. "I'm sorry! What have I done!?" And then he was gone.

* * *

Gilgamesh stood on the sidelines with Iskandar, watching as the light trailed up into the sky in a brilliant pillar. "Those tears of hers, Rider… Imagine how sweet they might taste." Here in Fuyuki, he was consumed with angry delusions. That pillar of light was the same as Enuma Elis, the Noble Phantasm of his only friend, Enkidu. This corruption of his heart made him hope only for that singular thing, to be reunited with them. Not here was that possible. This was a dream that could only be fulfilled in the American town of Snowfield.

"It seems I really can't find it in myself to like you, King of Heroes," Rider said. He really couldn't.

* * *

The Dress of Heaven smiled as the Caster of the Fourth Holy Grail War was finally defeated. "So, it truly is the same here. All we have to do is wait and-" Something dripped onto her hand, somehow, and she looked down at it as it seared through her flesh and slipped off onto the table. It was a pitch black liquid, but it held a reddish tinge reminiscent of blood.

Avenger leaned over and wiped up the droplet with his finger, lifting it up to taste it upon his tongue. If any Servant would be completely and utterly resistant to it, that Servant would be Angra Mainyu. "Huh, this taste… That really is the taste of All the World's Evil."

"So it has begun." Caster said and waved her hand over her injury to seal it. "Every Holy Grail War since the sin of the Einzbern have been for this sole purpose."

* * *

Maiya Hisau ascended the stairs of the center building of Shinto. Above her was the woman known as Sola-Ui, whom Maiya would take Lancer's Command Seals from. This was the one duty she had been assigned by Kiritsugu. Yet, her hands hesitated before she could push open those two heavy doors that lead onto the roof.

The path that her father walked and she had followed up to this point… Was it the one she wanted to walk as well? She looked up to him, the Magus Killer, a Hero of Justice, but she had something in her past that pushed her forward as well. In taking Sola-Ui's Command Seals, what did she hope to accomplish? All these doubts filled her mind, but in the end, Kiritsugu was still the man she knew as her father. She couldn't go against her father so simply.

Maiya pushed the doors open with a heavy squeal, but no one noticed her arrival. Sola-Ui stood by the side of the roof, watching the ending of the Servants' battle with Caster. "Thank God…" that woman said. Maiya simply drew her combat knife and shifted to hold it in a reverse grip. She could see the Command Seals on the other woman's hand. When Sola-Ui lifted her hand to look at the back, Maiya stepped forward.

"Huh…?" She didn't seem to realize her hand was gone until it wasn't attached to her wrist any longer. Her screams filled Maiya's ears but Maiya said nothing and let nothing show on her face. With a quick motion, she drew her pistol and annihilated the Command Seals on the woman's severed hand. The extraction of Command Seals was not in her skillset.

"Hand… my hand…" the woman mumbled as she gripped Maiya's ankle. Maiya had been the one on the ground not long ago.

Kirei Kotomine had not kicked her while she was down, so she would definitely not do such a thing here. Quickly, she pushed Sola-Ui down and began to bandage her wrist. "Maiya here."

"Maiya, there's been a complication."

"Of what kind?"

"Assassin eliminated Caster's Master, despite your report that they were eliminated by Rider."

Maiya's brow furrowed. She had seen Assassin be defeated within the King of Conquerors' Reality Marble, without a doubt. Unless… "It would seem not all of Assassin's bodies were destroyed by the King of Conquerors, despite what we all witnessed on that night."

Kiritsugu's voice was still of that machine. "From your experience at the Einzbern Castle, was there any indication of the number of bodies Assassin still possesses? If Kirei Kotomine still commands Assassin, we'll need to revise our strategy."

"No, there was nothing." That was no lie.

"Understood, Maiya. We'll be continuing with our plan for Lancer's team then." He hung up on her and she set her phone away. As she shifted her thoughts toward that plan, those doubts once again resurfaced. She wasn't sure if she was still prepared for the bloodshed that would emerge from the coming days.

* * *

Kirei saw Kariya fall from the building at the very end of the battle and stalked down to the streets to confirm the kill. Yet, the man was still breathing when he met him down in that alleyway. His duty to Tokiomi, if he was to maintain the illusion of his allegiance, was to finish what his teacher had started and eliminate Kariya.

Yet those words that Archer had told him. To find his truth, he would have to witness the trampling of Kariya's hopes. So, instead of killing Kariya, he put forth his training of healing magecraft and healed the wounds Tokiomi had inflicted upon him.

"You saved his life…" Assassin said to him. "For what reason?" There was weight behind Assassin's words.

"I…" To trample upon his wishes and seek pleasure from the act.

"Master. We wish to see you find your truth, but make sure this truth is not stolen from the King of Heroes. This pleasure that he speaks of… He holds his own wishes above all, not yours." Of course, that was clear from the sheer arrogance that the King of Heroes exuded. So what was Assassin trying to say then? "We are with you, Master, and we believe in you fully."

* * *

Kayneth tapped the arm of his wheelchair as Father Risei finally returned to the main hall of the Kotomine church. His fiancée had been taken, likely by that lowly mercenary that the Einzberns had hired, and Lancer had failed to protect her. In the situation he had found himself in, this war had changed completely and utterly. The Einzberns had sullied this war with the willful inclusion of a man like that, and so Kayneth had decided to do his own sinful deed. It was not because he hated the supervisor, - no, he really did not care either way for that man from the Holy Church - it was that the Holy Grail War was a sinful battle to the death committed by magi.

With this act, he would be committing the same sins as the Einzberns. Unknown to Kayneth, his reasons were much like the ideals of Kiritsugu Emiya. To deny the other Masters the Command Seals from Caster's defeat in order to attempt to save his fiancée… It wasn't all that much different from the calculations of that Hero of Justice.

"I am truly sorry to have made you wait, Lord El-Melloi. I have been rather busy tonight." Exhaustion plagued his voice.

"That's unavoidable. You have urgent matters to attend to with the clean up." He pushed his wheelchair closer. "However, Father, concerning the matter that I brought to your attention… I would like an answer from you."

Risei saw a thin smile on Kayneth's face. There was paranoia and confusion, yet a profound sense of purpose. Despite all he saw, Father Risei had promised a Command Seal to be awarded to whomever was responsible for Caster's destruction. On this night, it seemed that every single Servant had played a role in that destruction.

Even his own son.

That thought would be considered at a different time, for now, he would honour his promise as a member of the Holy Church. "Yes, in accordance to the agreement that I as supervisor put out, I see fit to give the Master of Lancer an additional Command Seal. However…" He looked upon Kayneth's hand. "Can I consider you that Master, Lord El-Melloi?"

Kayneth cleared his throat and laid out the words he had prepared. "The strategy that my fiancée and I are employing required that I pass on the Command Seals to her while I recovered from my injuries. Nonetheless, the contract is still between Lancer and myself. I will be taking back those Command Seals shortly now that I've recovered."

Risei was unsure of the matter, but in the end he saw little reason to argue with Lord El-Melloi over the specific details of whatever was occurring within team Lancer's faction. He would likely have to give the Command Seal to Sola-Ui if not to Kaynethl. Considering all that, he might as well just hand the reward to Kayneth and be done with it. The tiredness of old age was even getting to the healthy priest. "Very well. Please, hold out your hand."

Father Risei traced the faded outline of the Command Seals on Kayneth's hand. With a flash of brilliant red light, he transferred one of the excess Command Seals to Kayneth. "There. I believe that will conclude this for the night, Lord El-Melloi. I wish you luck in the battles to come." He began to turn and return to the lectern at the back of the church.

"Of course, Father. Thank you." Kayneth drew the pistol and fired into Risei's back. The elderly man crumpled to the floor and Kayneth watched him fall. "My apologies, but I cannot let you give those other Command Seals to the other Masters. It was not personal." That was all true, it was simply a part of the war.

He bowed his head lightly toward Risei and then turned his wheelchair around and began to leave. His thoughts went back to his goals of reuniting with Lancer and saving his fiancée.

* * *

Death was what greeted Kirei when he stepped back into the hall of the Kotomine church. "Father…"

"Master Kirei-" But their Master had already went to his father's side. A mangled cry came up from the back of that man's throat, as if he did not know what it was like to feel anguish.

Assassin stood there, all those fifty who remained. They all watched their Master as tears rose from his eyes and stained his cheeks. "Tears… Why…?" Fear traced over his features, betraying those thoughts that Assassin knew were untrue. That Kirei Kotomine loved the despair of humanity above all other things in life, like a finest wine imaginable.

However, Assassin had seen the dreams of that man. They had seen that which Kirei told himself and saw them only as falsehoods. "Master Kirei."

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth…" Those were the words that transferred the Command Seals from the deceased Father Risei to the arm of Kirei Kotomine. He looked down at his father and wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his frock. "Assassin."

"Those thoughts you have, they are wrong." They were firm, firmer than they have ever been with their Master. "All the King of Heroes did was put his own words into your mind, words that were simply what he believed to be true."

Kirei did not look up and closed the glazed over eyes of his father. "How can you say? You are a Servant just as he is."

"We can say because we are your Servant. Those words we spoke to you all those days ago were no lie. Caren and Claudia truly did love you, and you did truly love them."

He rested a hand upon his forehead. "No, all I sought was their suffering to please the hole in my heart. The King of Heroes spoke true-"

"No, he did not." Asako, the speaker of the Hundred Personas raised her voice for the first time since she had met her Master. "All you have ever done was lie to yourself. In your dreams, you said you never saw the beauty in the world that your father did, but that was only because you did not see sunsets and flowers - your father's ideal of beauty - in the same way he did. He wished his son to be beautiful, and his son tore himself apart to attain a standard of beauty that he could not comprehend."

"Then, Assassin, what was it I hoped when I saw my wife dying?"

She answered him with another question. "What is a story, Master?"

"A… story?" That didn't follow the line of conversation at all.

"A story, one out of books, is something comprised of both joy and pain. When your father read a story, he saw the joy of accomplishment that those heroes experienced and saw that as beauty. For you, Master… That pain was what you saw as beautiful."

"Then I was correct! I seek nothing but the despair of others!"

Assassin closed her eyes and looked up toward the windows of the Kotomine church, and the light of the moon that shone through. "In the pain of those stories… there is also beauty in witnessing the heroes overcome that hardship." Asako set her hand against the mask upon her face and this time she did lift it. Behind that mask was still that dark skin, but there was a face beneath it. She looked upon him with true kindness in her eyes, something that he had saw from his father time and time again. Yet, Assassin had seen his life and still Asako did not say he was a broken human being.

"How can you still say such things after seeing my true heart?"

She set that mask upon her face once more. "Because we are the only ones who have seen your true heart. Not even you know such things. Your wife tried until the very end to try and make you see the beauty in those happy moments, but all you saw was the beauty in those trials your family went through."

Kirei was silent, yet still he looked upon his father. "I'm sorry I could never see the beauty you saw, Father."

Was Assassin right? Or was the King of Heroes? All those dreams and memories agreed with the conclusion that Gilgamesh had, but those dreams and memories were filtered through Kirei's own mind, the one that drove him to endless training, self-harm, and the unattainable goal of making his father happy. He had not once thought there was nothing wrong with him.

He did not reply to Assassin as he stood, but he did turn and address them with a new question. "Our surveillance net did not catch the church while we were at the river, but when we returned, did you see anything?"

Assassin hung her head and then raised it after a moment of pause. "Yes, we believe we saw Lord El-Melloi departing from the general area, but the distance was too great to be certain. He didn't seem to be like the man we know to be Lancer's Master."

Kirei nodded once. "Cast out a net in that general direction. We shall ascertain whether or not Lord El-Melloi murdered my father and then we shall reconvene."

"As you wish, Master." They disappeared without another word, back into the night.

* * *

Thank you for reading as always.

I just thought I'd point out that the scene in Fate/Zero when Kirei finds his father in the church is different in the light novel and the anime. Kirei is definitely very emotional in the light novel, which I kinda parroted a bit to build this out.


	8. Chapter 8: The Path Diverges

_Hi! Welcome to a new chapter! Only been a couple months, huh._

 _I'm not too sure about the quality of this one as opposed to the others, but I hope you all enjoy it._

 _Thanks for reading!_

* * *

"Where is she, Lancer? How could you have lost my fiancée?" Despite all their previous arrangements, Kayneth could not help but reprimand the knight. "Your sole duty was the protection of Sola-Ui, and your so-called knighthood could not even manage that! While you were traipsing around the Mion river, I was the one to retrieve a Command Seal to maintain this pathetic contract!"

Lancer bowed his head deeply, kneeling before his Master. His face was twisted with a sorrowful expression. While Kayneth was not Fionn, all Diarmuid could think of was the circumstances that had led to his death. Twice did those waters slip from Fionn's fingers… A grudge so deep that it took a threat against Fionn's life from Oisín and Oscar for him to go back to those springs for the third and final time. He could not blame Fionn. The only person he could blame was himself… but he had to explain the circumstances to his Master. "Master, please allow me to say this… Lady Sola and I did not establish a proper contract, so we are unable to detect each other's presence…"

"You should have been more careful because of that!" Their connection had allowed Lancer to move in to save Kayneth after his run-in with the magus killer. Without something like that, Lancer should have never left Sola-Ui's side. It was just a basic strategic consideration. If only he hadn't given her the Command Seals… If only he had been strong enough to resist the threat of torture.

"I am responsible, Master. I should have advised Lady Sola otherwise, but I must say that her decision was made because she wished for you to regain your standing-"

Kayneth slammed his fist against the arm of his wheelchair. "How can you- You have the nerve to say such blatant falsehoods to me? We both know this was because of your damned love spot! Did you willfully ignore the danger it held!? Did you think upholding your chivalry was so important that you put Sola-Ui in danger?"

"I…" Lancer could not find the words to convey his dismay. "My Master, the heart of a knight only seeks to defend you and your honour."

"As if I could believe that! You presumptuous puppet… useless Servant… All you've done is care more for your ideals than the order that must be maintained around you! All that glory and pride to save those people at the Mion… Was it really that? Or did you simply not want to tarnish your honour?"

"W-what?" Far beyond anything else, to see his Master question the very ideals of chivalry that Lancer lived his life by was beyond comprehension. To question his loyalty or his skills or his faculties, those targets made much more sense. Yet Kayneth's target laid in what defined the vast majority of the Knight classes, no, what defined the knight Diarmuid. All of his actions were carefully considered against his code of ethics, always. "Master, I am no monster. Please…" Lancer begged the man in front of him, his shoulders shaking with the pain of his Master's words. Was he purposely trying to beat him into submission?

"There is no place for mere ideals in this world, Lancer, yet you have never shown that you are more than mere words." He dismissed the Servant with a flick of his hand. Kayneth was nothing like this Servant. He had claimed his birthright by his own hand, working harder than any other to live up to his prodigal nature. There was no room for braggarts in the Clocktower, only results.

Lancer could only stare at the floor, head lowered, unable to say anything. His heroism and majesty was gone entirely. What could he say? Undeniably he had not been able to keep his promises to his Master, but if he had not gone down to the Mion river and given the King of Knights her left hand back there would have been untold destruction in Fuyuki. He had a duty to both the common people and his Master, but he had picked the people of Fuyuki instead, hadn't he?

Kayneth traced his other hand over his sole Command Seal and showed it to Lancer. "Understand the importance of this mark, Lancer. Your ideals, your skills, and your very person are subservient while I hold this, so act like the Servant you are supposed to be." That was all Kayneth wished to say. He needed a Servant if he wanted to survive, not a knight.

Silence permeated the atmosphere for a long time, until Lancer sliced through it with simple words. "Master. Someone is approaching, likely a modern car."

So the Einzberns were coming. There was nothing he could do but command his Servant. "Kill Saber. Do not stay your hand."

"Understood." Lancer disappeared, shifting into spirit form.

* * *

Maiya and Kiritsugu met behind the factory complex, on the opposite end of where Saber and Irisviel would enter. The plan was incredibly simple, even with the added complexities from Assassin's remaining presence, but the steps were still as they planned it.

Lancer would engage with Saber, drawing him away from Kayneth.

Kiritsugu would move in, threatening Sola-Ui's life to compel Kayneth to use his Command Seals and have Lancer commit suicide via a self-geis scroll.

Maiya would kill both Kayneth and Sola-Ui from a distance using the Walther WA2000.

Those steps would ensure the entire destruction of Team Lancer, eliminating two magi and one Servant. These calculations were the pinnacle of the killing machine known as Kiritsugu Emiya, but this plan… Maiya set Sola-Ui gently on the ground, giving her to Kiritsugu. She turned away, ensuring that the Walther had all its appropriate components and hiding her true face from Kiritsugu. The brutality of war… She had witnessed it first hand a long time ago. She still recoiled when she thought of that time. Those ripples reminded her of the truth she now held. No child should have to grow up on a battlefield. Never again would she allow those same horrors to occur.

Kiritsugu had hauled Sola-Ui onto his shoulder. "Maiya. I'll be leaving." He didn't wait for her response and was gone moments later.

"Yes…" she said to the night sky. "I will be departing as well."

* * *

The directions had been laid out to Irisviel by Kiritsugu. Leave Shinto by the eastern road and keep going. On the left hand side will be an abandoned factory. This will be where Lancer and his Master are. Saber had proposed to move immediately and finish her duel with Lancer. Before the war was finished, Saber knew that she would need to face Lancer before any of the other Servants. It was not simply because Rider would not face her before she and Lancer had concluded their duel, it was because Saber required it of herself to atone for her selfishness. She had been the one to allow him to give up one of his Noble Phantasms, and for that, she could not leave him alone.

"Saber," Irisviel began, looking quite concerned at the woman driving the car. "Are you all right? Wouldn't fighting two battles one after the other be a great burden to you?"

"I am fine, Irisviel, thought I appreciate your concern. Even if I was in poor condition, as a Heroic Spirit I must face Lancer."

The way of a Heroic Spirit… Irisviel understood this concept deeply. It was the nature of these ancient heroes to uphold the lofty ideals of their stories. Yet, she still wished that Saber and Kiritsugu could understand one another. They both wished for an eternal peace, yet they could not see this clear agreement. Irisviel was not a woman to know the concept of anger, but the frustration in her soul was deep. In the deepest depths of her heart, she truly wished that there would be a day where Kiritsugu and Artoria could understand one another.

Yet, here they were, on the path to fight Lancer once more.

Saber could not help but notice the pale complexion on Irisviel's face, as if the blood was not circulating properly. Despite her attempts to ask and beseech her, Irisviel had not told her what ailed her. "However… Are you all right, Irisviel? You not look to be in good health."

"Don't worry. As long as you are by my side…"

Saber swore she would be, until the very end of this cruel war.

Saber passed through the front gate of the abandoned factory and turned off the car's engine. They each stepped out and their mission began.

"The magecraft here…" Irisviel looked about, eyeing the situation. "It is already beginning to show signs of decay. Is this truly the place?"

Saber had already sensed the intent of battle. "No, this is the place." As if on cue, Lancer stepped out from the shadow of the factory, holding his remaining spear.

"I welcome you, Saber. It must have been difficult to find this place." He spoke with the same mutual understanding they held at the Mion river.

"My… partner…" She hesitated, nearly calling Kiritsugu her Master. "... told me this was your base of operations."

"Hm." He closed his eyes, as if considering something grave. "Saber, where is my Master's fiancée? Surely, you must know."

Saber's brow furrowed slightly. "No, I do not, Lancer. Is she not with your Master? Is she in danger?" She looked to Irisviel to see her response, but of course Irisviel did not know either.

"Nevermind." Lancer took his words back. "Pretend I hadn't said anything." He sighed, signalling his relief. "Are you truly ready to face me again? Hadn't you expended a great deal of mana when you eliminated Caster?"

"We all have, Lancer. You, myself, the King of Conquerors, Berserker… That is why I believe this will be the night we finish our duel. We will not be interrupted on this night. Don't you agree, Lancer?"

He smiled, and Saber could see the great burden that was held on his features. What had happened in that short time they had been apart? She could not hope to guess such things. "Your pure will to fight… I think it is the only thing that will bring stability to my heart tonight." He thrusted out his red spear, pointing it toward Saber.

If the only thing that would bring joy back to Lancer's heart was their duel, then Saber would provide this to him. She casted on her armour and dispelled Invisible Air. Lancer already knew the exact measurements of her blade, so there was no need for that trick any longer. Out of all of the Servants summoned for the Fourth Holy Grail War, Saber truly believed that this man was the one fit to face the true glory of Excalibur.

The morning sky had just began to peek over the horizon, casting red light over their battlefield. The intent of the two Heroic Spirits was thick in the air, bubbling up toward its inevitable eruption. Irisviel watched, feeling her blood grow stagnant as she waited in anticipation for their blows to begin.

They stepped forward, once again as majestic Heroic Spirits, their blades clashing unhindered in the formerly silent air. It was a reenactment of their battle at the docks, yet it was now filled with the intense emotions that they had gathered up from their time in this Holy Grail War. It was no longer a simple duel between knights, this was a duel between mutual peers of the suffering of the Grail War.

Several bouts played out, neither being able to defeat the other yet. They separated for a moment, and Saber was ready to engage once more but-

"Saber, are you…" He was confused. In their fight he had noticed it near immediately but only now had been given the chance to speak. Her swordplay was not the same as it had been at the Fuyuki harbour, and he knew why. Her left thumb was tucked into her hand, not allowing herself to grip the sword with her full might. He had told her to let him shoulder the blame for rescinding her wound so why… Why!?

"Lancer, please do not misunderstand. I would be very troubled if you did." Her words were cool and calm, taking the shaken knight out of his panic. "I cannot use my left hand, even with it being uninjured. The shame I would feel if I did…" She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed out. "It would slow me and result in a fatal mistake."

"Saber…" He realized then that Saber's greatest weapon was not her skill with the sword or her Noble Phantasms, but the passion for chivalrous battle that she held deep within her heart. He had never witnessed something so pure in any person. The King of Knights, she was truly the most noble of them all. Lancer laughed. "I am glad I was given the opportunity to meet you."

He brought his spear up to bear once more. "I am the first spear of the Knights of Fianna, Diarmuid ua Duibhne! I come for you!"

"Excellent! For this night, I, Artoria Pendragon, King of Britain, accept your righteous challenge!"

They met each other on the field of battle once more, hearts filled with the joy of chivalrous combat.

* * *

Kayneth could not understand how the same result had happened once again. Those ideals… Having reprimanded his Servant he was sure that he would have casted aside those virtues and given him an easy victory against the Servant Saber, yet still he could not! Was this all because he had been unable to prepare to the full extent as he would have with the Heroic Spirit Iskandar? Was it because he no longer had his Magic Circuits? Lancer should have understood that if victory cannot be assured, then he should escape with his Master but he did not! Kayneth scratched at his head, his nails biting into his scalp. If only he had a Command Seal, he could command him to finish Saber off and then they could focus on saving Sola-Ui!

He heard a clink as a bullet casing was thrown toward him, bouncing against the concrete before landing at the foot of his wheelchair. He looked to the side, eyes unsteady in the darkness as he peered through the shadows. When his eyesight focused, he saw the two figures there. That man, clad in a dark coat with fiery eyes, pointing the tip of his submachine gun at Sola-Ui's forehead. He pressed a finger to his lips, silencing any possible outburst from Kayneth. Yet… perhaps the sole hope was that Sola-Ui was alive? No… He could see the rise and fall of her chest, signalling her breathing, but that man's presence told him something else. This man fought without any semblance of honour. This was nothing but a trap.

From Kiritsugu's coat came a roll of paper, which he threw into the air and let the wind carry it toward Kayneth. He snatched it from the air and looked right at the contents. "This…" One of the most binding contracts of the world of magecraft, a self-geis scroll.

Kayneth read, almost hearing that man's voice in his head. "Binding spell… Affected Party: Kiritsugu Emiya. The Crest of the Emiya family orders the following actions. The pledge is to be obeyed by the Affected Party upon fulfillment of the terms described herein. Pledge: That Kiritsugu, son of Norikata, fifth heir to the house of Emiya, will be forever forbidden from harming Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald and Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri or from intending to by his hand, harm of injure them or cause them pain in any way whatsoever. Terms:..." He gasped to himself, knowing what this would mean.

Kiritsugu was telling Kayneth directly. Have Lancer commit suicide, or have Sola-Ui be killed in front of him. One would be the end of his life as a Master and a mage. There would be nothing for him at the Clocktower. The other option meant the death of the sole love of his life… He read the contract over and over, stubbornly trying to find a way out, but there was none… He knew that, he just did not want to realize it.

Kiritsugu pulled back the slide on his Calico, making a mechanical sound loud enough to make Kayneth jump. He had no time left. If he hesitated a second longer, Kiritsugu would kill Sola-Ui, and then likely him as well. Kayneth looked down at the Command Seal on his hand, and then back up at the softly breathing form of Sola-Ui. No, there had been no choice at all in the end.

He raised his right hand. "Lancer, commit suicide."

* * *

Saber had backed away from Lancer and smiled as she began to take a step once more toward her opponent. Like a frightening contortion, Lancer's arm bent backwards and he thrusted Gae Dearg directly into his heart. He did not seem to even realize he had killed himself and in a daze looked at the blood that dripped out from the newly formed hole in his chest. His two hands gripped the spear that rested in his chest and he looked up at Saber. "What…?"

"Lancer!" she shouted, heart full of concern for her worthy partner.

He realized there was only thing that could have caused him to do something so suddenly to himself; Command Seals. Red tears rolled down his cheek as blood spilled from his lips. "Saber… did you know?"

"No, I swear to you. I did not… I am so sorry, Lancer…" Her face held the same grief that his did, and he knew… He had been murdered by his lord yet again. Had this world been different, Saber would have been Oisín or Oscar, the two who forced Fionn to return to the springs again and again.

Behind him he saw the two Masters. Kayneth was in his wheelchair, an empty expression on his face as he held onto the unconscious Sola-Ui, stroking her hair gently. There was also the other man, the true Master of Saber that he saw at the Einzbern's castle.

That man… He thrusted out his arm toward him. "You! Do you desire the Grail that desperately?" His calm voice to Saber devolved into an unbridled rage as the blood in his eyes blinded him. "You would trample on the sole wish that I had, simply to duel Saber honorably!" These men, these mages, they were nothing but heartless beasts. "Unforgivable! I'll never forgive you! Slaves to fame, trampling on the glory of knights! I curse the Holy Grail itself! I curse whatever damnable wish you desire will become nothing but a disaster! When you burn in hell, remember the unrelenting anger of Diarmuid!"

His material body had begun to crumble as he screamed, his spear and legs giving way as he crumpled to the floor. He cursed them all until he had disappeared into a black haze, becoming nothing more than a spirit blinded by anger until he finally disappeared from that world.

Kayneth stared at the space in front of him, as if Lancer had never been there at all. "So now the geis binds you…?" His voice was weak, no longer the proud El-Melloi.

Kiritsugu stepped away, taking a cigarette out from his coat. "Yes… It is sealed. I can no longer kill you or Sola-Ui." Kiritsugu Emiya was incapable of harming them. He flicked out his lighter, pressing the flame to the tip of the cigarette as he took in a breath of smoke.

What should have happened next was the death of Kayneth and Sola-Ui, but the path of fate had already been greatly diverted.

Kiritsugu looked up as something that should never have happened did in fact happen. The black car that Maiya commanded pulled into the abandoned factory. She stepped out, her Calico in her hand as she shut the door behind herself.

"Maiya…?" "Maiya?" Kiritsugu and Irisviel both asked as she appeared, but she spoke nothing to either of them.

She only looked to Kayneth and Sola-Ui. "Lord El-Melloi. Come with me," she said simply, showing nothing on her face. No one could tell what she was thinking.

"Maiya, what are you doing?" Kiritsugu tossed his cigarette to the side. "This is not part of the plan."

Maiya spared him a single glance. "The plan has changed, Kiritsugu."

Irisviel spoke up to that exchange immediately. "What plan, Kiritsugu? How far did you plan to take this?" Her brow was furrowed in an intense glare, but Kiritsugu disregarded it immediately. His glare was on Maiya.

"What side are you working under now, Maiya?"

Maiya did not look toward him, beckoning a disoriented Kayneth toward her car as Saber covered her exit. "My side is none but my own." She pushed Kayneth's wheelchair beside the rear door of the car and made eye contact with Irisviel. Maiya intended for Irisviel to understand the situation as well. "There is no reason to kill Kayneth nor Sola-Ui now that the geis is in effect, so I will not kill them."

Both Saber and Irisviel looked to Kiritsugu with accusatory gazes. Kiritsugu smiled as if this was funny, a self-satisfied grin emerging on his face. "Turning my Servant and the one she protects against me… I never thought you would betray me, Maiya."

"If I had shot you instead, that would have been a betrayal. This is only a change in objective."

"Abandoning the Grail to the others is tantamount to betrayal, Maiya-" Kiritsugu had began to raise his voice, but Irisviel cut him off completely.

"No, it is not a betrayal." She did not look at him. "I did not think this was the man that you were, Kiritsugu. The man I met all those years ago… even the way you described what you had to do to chase those dreams, I did not believe you held such sadistic tendencies." Irisviel had no way of knowing the true depth of the magus killer's ways.

"That's wrong." His rebuttal was swift. "Personal feelings do not factor into my tactical decisions. I fight merely in the way that someone must in this world. There is no room for chivalry on the battlefield." There was only unspeakable horror and pain on such things.

"Do not spit on chivalry in front of me, Kiritsugu." Saber had had enough of that from Rider already. "Are you not a man who fights for a righteous cause? How can you hope to accomplish that with such brutal means?" Saber knew that only more war could be brought about from such methods.

Kiritsugu said nothing, not because he believed he was wrong, but because he knew there was nothing he could say to change the minds of anyone present. He looked toward Irisviel instead. "What now then?"

The intensity on her face subsided and she breathed a great sigh. "We should work together no longer, Kiritsugu. Find me when the other Servants have been defeated, but from this point on, you are the outside magus hired by the Einzberns to claim the Grail, and I am the Einzbern Master. We will… have no association."

Kiritsugu swallowed. He had not expected such a definitive answer from her. Usually, she took careful time to consider different circumstances and concerns, but perhaps she had already done so long before this moment. He nodded. "I see." Kiritsugu understood the full implication of her statement. From that moment on, he was the magus killer and she was the vessel of the Grail. There was no Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel von Einzbern, only the man known as Kiritsugu Emiya and the homunculus known as Irisviel von Einzbern. He turned away from everyone present.

"Maiya."

She stopped, her hand on the car door as she moved to shut it with Kayneth and Sola-Ui inside. "I am listening."

"I will still consider you my daughter."

"And you are still my father. Goodbye, Kiritsugu."

Maiya shut the door, and Kiritsugu walked off.

It was quiet in the abandoned factory as the three women stood there. Saber took the tactful response. "I will still be your sword, Irisviel."

Iri smiled, content with that statement. "Of course. We will have to establish a connection for supplying magical energy quickly." Saber nodded in response and Irisviel turned her attention to Maiya. "Will you be leaving the battle?"

She opened the driver side door. "As soon as I am done with this, I will return. May I still fight by your side?"

"Of course, Maiya. Of course." They would need all the help they could get.


End file.
